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Two Bucks County Community College Students Named to All-PA Academic Team
Two Bucks County Community College Class of 2026 students were recently named to the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team by the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges (PACCC) and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year institutions. Noah Morris of Bensalem, a business administration major, and Newtown resident Hanna McMenamin, an early education major, were honored at the 2026 PACCC All-Pennsylvania Academic Team Awards Ceremony in Harrisburg April 7. Both students, who have 4.0 GPAs, are eligible for a full tuition waiver for the final two years of their bachelor's degree at any one of the ten universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and each plans to transfer to West Chester University after graduating from Bucks in May. Pictured (left-right) are PTK faculty advisor Dr. Charles Beem, students Noah Morris and Hanna McMenamin, and BCCC President & CEO Dr. Patrick M. Jones.
Community Invited to Discover Lifelong Learning at Bucks
Bucks County Community College, which has been offering educational opportunities for all ages for more than 60 years, invites the public to its third annual Lifelong Learning at Bucks Expo from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18.
The free, interactive event allows adult learners to take sample classes and workshops while connecting with instructors and fellow community members. There will also be time in between sessions for networking, light refreshments, and vendor tables.
The sample classes are one-hour tidbits of what is available throughout the year through the College’s division of Community Education and Professional Certification. Categories include Arts and Culture, Wellness and Mindfulness, Personal Enrichment, Technology, and Travel and Lifestyle, plus many more.
Registration for the event is free. For registration assistance, email lifelonglearning@bucks.edu or call 215-968-8409.
The Lifelong Learning at Bucks Expo takes place in the Linksz Pavilion, located on the Newtown campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940.
The Centurion Student Newspaper Wins 18 Awards
The Centurion, Bucks County Community College’s student-run newspaper, has won 18 awards in the 2026 Student Keystone Media Contest.
The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association also gave The Centurion the Sweepstakes Award for Division III, which indicates the newspaper won the majority of the contest’s awards within the division. Since 2010, The Centurion has won more than 200 awards in the statewide contest.
This year, awards were given in categories such as General News, Sports Story, Layout and Design and Video Story. The contest recognizes the hard work the students put in from the Spring and Fall semesters of 2025.
Some of The Centurion staff’s specific awards include:
General News, First Place – In Possible Sign for Midterms, Demjocrats Sweep Pennsylvania and Bucks County in Off-Year Elections, Sarah Yanchunas
General News, Second Place – British Parliament Members Visit Bucks to Seal Transfer Deal with College in Wales, Kassandra Castillo
Photo Story, First Place - British Parliament Members Visit Bucks to Seal Transfer Deal with College in Wales, Emelia Yotko
Feature Story, First Place – Vinyl Records Spinning Back into Mainstream, Chelsea King
Personality Profile, Second Place – In her Varied Roles, Professor Rackin Positively Impacts the School of Language and Literature, Aidan Kegel
Sports Story, First Place – Emily Gilmore: A Student With Many Talents, Zacchary Crain
“It’s definitely a gratifying moment to see my peers wins awards, especially since a lot of them weren’t expecting it,” said Kassandra Castillo, The Centurion’s editor-in-chief. “I’ve seen the progression of everyone, not only within their writing skills, but their confidence as future journalists as a whole. It’s inspiring to see our collective efforts pay off.”
These awards for The Centurion staff mean even more for Castillo since this is her last semester with the paper. She says the most rewarding part of the job has been seeing all the different majors come together to share their love for news and writing.
“Only half of the staff are journalism majors; the other half are as random as it gets,” Castillo added. “But we all share one passion, so it’s rewarding to see different views and personalities mesh together to make the paper.”
One of the winners, Zacchary Crain, a film and photography major, won an award for the only sports story he wrote for The Centurion.
“Honestly, my favorite part about it was the interview,” said Crain. “Being able to write and learn about someone’s personal story with no bias was really interesting.” Crain plans to continue helping The Centurion with photography in his remaining semesters at Bucks.
The Centurion is completely student run and financially independent. Journalism Professor Tony Rogers, the paper’s faculty advisor, couldn’t be prouder of the work The Centurion’s staff puts in.
“The thing that’s always impressive especially in community college is how the students continue to produce a very real newspaper despite the constant turnover of students,” said Rogers. “At four-year colleges, students have more time to hone their experience, but despite the two-year challenge, The Centurion staff makes the paper incredible.”
There will be an awards ceremony and luncheon for the winners on April 14 at Best Western Premier the Central Hotel and Conference Center in Harrisburg. New this year, students are invited to participate in a News Media College and Job Fair networking event and a scavenger hunt with prizes prior to the awards ceremony.
Atlantic Mandolin Quartet Breathes New Life into Historic Instrument
Bucks County Community College proudly presents the Atlantic Mandolin Quartet at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 17, as part of its Bucks Live! series of innovative programs that entertain, inspire, and enrich Bucks County’s cultural landscape.
With a shared passion for both tradition and innovation, the internationally acclaimed ensemble brings new energy to a repertoire of classical, romantic and contemporary works.
It features members from the around the globe: founder Ekaterina Skliar from Russia, Carrera Stamile from South Carolina, Gabriel Locati from Philadelphia, and Dor Gidon Amran from Israel. Together, they breathe new life into the instrument through both traditional repertoire and innovative arrangements.
The program includes works such as Mozart’s Divertimento arranged for mandolin quartet, alongside original compositions and newly commissioned pieces. Their performances honor the mandolin’s historical roots while exploring fresh and contemporary musical landscapes.
The performance takes place in the Zlock Performing Arts Center on the Newtown Campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., where there is ample free parking. Come early for refreshments at the Zlock Lobby Bar.
Tickets for the Atlantic Mandolin Quartet are $25, and free for BCCC students with current ID.
Wordsmiths Series Welcomes Best-Selling Novelist Jamie Brenner
The Wordsmiths Reading Series at Bucks County Community College invites the public for a rare opportunity to meet a best-selling novelist and hear her share her thoughts about the writing process.
Jamie Brenner, a USA TODAY best-selling author, reads from her works at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in historic Tyler Hall on the Newtown Campus. Brenner’s novels include “The Forever Summer,” “Blush,” and the forthcoming trilogy “Blue Angel.” After raising two daughters in New York City, Brenner now lives in Bucks County — the inspiration for her recent novel “The Weekend Crashers.“
Brenner grew up reading the scandalous heroines of Jackie Collins, the family dramas of Danielle Steele, and epic sagas by Judith Krantz. She pays homage to these classics in her free weekly e-serial, “The Lovely and The Damned,” available via newsletter signup and Substack @Divabehavior. Learn more at jamiebrenner.com.
The Wordsmiths Reading Series is another way that Bucks County Community College connects the community with the region’s vibrant literary heritage. The series, which is free and open to the public, is funded by the College’s Cultural Affairs Committee. To learn more, contact the School of Language & Literature at langandlit@bucks.edu or 215-968-8150.
Bucks County Community College is located at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940, where there is ample free parking.
BCCC Receives State Grant to Help Parenting Students Complete College
Bucks County Community College has received a $150,000 state grant to support students who are parents in the upcoming academic year, officials announced Monday, March 30, at a news conference on the Newtown Campus. Now in its third year, the Parent Pathways grant program supports parenting students by providing tuition assistance, emergency funding, and more.
"We are grateful that the Pennsylvania Department of Education named Bucks County Community College as a recipient of the Parent Pathways grant,” said the College’s President and CEO Patrick M. Jones. “This funding will provide support to many parenting students — who are highly motivated but often face additional challenges when it comes to earning their degrees — by allowing us to offer last-dollar scholarships and emergency financial assistance that directly address barriers to parenting student success and completion."
BCCC is among 11 colleges and universities to receive a total of more than $1.6 million for the program. The announcement was made by Dr. Lynette Kuhn. Pennsylvania Department of Education Deputy Secretary and Commissioner for Postsecondary and Higher Education, at the news conference.
Dr. Samantha Gross, dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, said parenting students benefit significantly by earning post-secondary credentials, but complete degrees at lower rates than their non-parenting peers.
“By helping parenting students at Bucks County Community College, we are supporting stronger economic outcomes — higher household incomes and increased rates of home ownership – while we lessen the likelihood of unemployment and strengthen critical workforce pipelines in high-demand fields like nursing and education,” Gross said. “Supporting parenting students means strengthening families, communities, and our regional economy.”
Also lending her voice in support of the program was student Siam Rodriguez, a mother of three young children, whose husband is a full-time Bucks student as well. “My goal is to go to medical school and receive an M.D.,” said Rodriguez. “This grant will help us continue to show our children that with perseverance, resilience, and determination, our dreams are within reach.”
This is the first year that BCCC has received the grant, and it is the only recipient in the County of Bucks.
