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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.
AWS Launches New Information Infrastructure Training Program at BCCC
AWS (Amazon Web Services) has launched a four-week paid pre-apprenticeship program in partnership with Bucks County Community College (BCCC) — the first of its kind in Pennsylvania — to prepare the workforce needed for the construction and operation of data centers and other information technology infrastructure.
The AWS Information Infrastructure Pre-Apprenticeship (I2PA) program delivers practical, hands-on training that prepares participants to explore careers that build, connect, power, and operate the infrastructure supporting the information economy. Industry experts, including subject matter experts from BCCC, cover vital workplace skills and foundational knowledge in electrical, mechanical, fiber-optic, and data center operations.
AWS chose BCCC to host the classes, taking place at the Center for Advanced Technologies at the College’s Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks in Bristol, Pa. A full cohort of 22 students is training from March 30 to April 24.
“We’re thrilled to partner with AWS to help expose students to the systems and skills necessary to launch high-tech, high-demand careers in the information economy,” said Bucks County Community College President & CEO Patrick M. Jones.
At the end of the training, students will have earned several industry-required certificates, including AWS I2PA and OSHA 10. They will also have an opportunity to participate in a job fair, featuring hiring managers from companies looking for workers with these skills and credentials.
Last year, Amazon announced it is investing $20 billion — the largest capital investment in Commonwealth history — to build two “innovation campuses” in Pennsylvania, including one on the site of the former U.S. Steel property in Falls Township which will become the largest industrial park on the East Coast. The centers will build out cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure, Amazon said.
In addition to the AWS I2PA training, BCCC offers several workforce programs, including registered pre-apprenticeships in construction and manufacturing, and evening trades courses, all aligned with the skill demands of modern data center operations. More information is available on the Future Focus: Advanced Technology Pathways web page.
Take the Next Step Towards Your Future at Spring Open House Events
Bucks County Community College, which has been launching futures for more than 60 years, invites prospective students and their families to visit their campuses during three Spring Open House events and discover all that Bucks has to offer.
“The Spring Open House is a wonderful opportunity to connect with our deans, faculty, and staff to learn about our programs and support services,” said Yolonda Udvardy, Ed.D., interim vice president of enrollment management. “You might discover a new academic or career pathway and can also take a guided tour of our campuses and learning spaces.”
Students can save 28% - 68% on the cost of a bachelor’s degree by starting their first two years at Bucks County Community College, which is consistently ranked among the top in the state and nation. Research.com recently ranked Bucks the No. 2 Best Value College in Pennsylvania among all colleges. SmartAsset, a consumer-focused financial website, ranked Bucks No. 2 in Pennsylvania, while Niche, a popular college search site, placed the College third in the commonwealth. Nationally, SmartAsset ranked Bucks among the top 10% of all two-year colleges.
Bucks offers more than 90 academic programs of study that lead to either an associate degree or a shorter-term certificate. Many programs provide a quick pathway to begin or change careers. In addition, the College offers a variety of professional certification and non-credit lifelong learning opportunities.
What’s more, Bucks offers a vibrant, engaging student experience with more than 40 student clubs and organizations, 14 intercollegiate sports teams and intramurals, community service projects, student leadership opportunities, and college-wide events.
All areas of the College will be represented at the Spring Open House events. The events take place on the following dates and locations.
Saturday, April 11, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.Newtown Campus275 Swamp Rd.Newtown, PA 18940
Wednesday, April 15, 6 – 7:30 p.m.Upper Bucks CampusOne Hillendale Rd.Perkasie, PA 18944
Wednesday, April 22, 6 – 7:30 p.m.Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks1304 Veterans HighwayBristol, PA 19007
To learn more about all that Bucks County Community College has to offer, visit our website. To register for a Spring Open House event, visit the Open House web page. For further questions, email admissionsevents@bucks.edu or call 215-968-8100.
