The Haven Magazine Spring 2018

ALUMNI news
Alumni Board Spotlight –
Sue Crook and 50 Years of Computer
Science at LHU
Sue Crook’s interest in reconnecting with
the school she graduated from in 1977
started out simple enough, with a few
alumni gatherings near Philadelphia. She
loved hearing the success stories of older
alumni and about all the changes on campus
from younger LHU grads.
With her children out of school and more
free time on her hands, she realized that
she wanted to give back to LHU in more
ways than just financially. Her desire to
give back is the reason that Crook is now
a member of the Lock Haven University
Alumni Board and her goal is to get as
many alumni as possible back on campus.
In November she teamed up with professor
of Applied Computer Science, Dr. Susan
Strayer, and played a pivotal role in setting
up the program’s 50th anniversary and Celebration
of Scholarship. Dr. Strayer said she
was very appreciative of the legwork Crook
put in to help make the event so successful,
serving as her alumni partner and master of
ceremonies for the banquet.
Crook also served on an alumni panel that
spoke with students to share their experiences,
and how their LHU educations impacted
them professionally. “The students
found the panel discussions very useful,”
Strayer said. “We just really appreciate that
kind of contact from our alumni. They are
absolutely fantastic.”
Crook shared that the Computer Science
program at LHU has evolved during its 50
years. When Crook was a student it was
more about mathematics. “Back in the ’70s
it was a very new program; no business
courses. It was a lot of mathematical programming,”
she said. “There were 11 of us
that graduated together and were hired by
General Electric.”
Some of the presentations students gave
during Celebration of Scholarship were
on robotics, algorithm visualizations, and
virtual reality. “They were excellent,” Crook
said. “I think everybody was really impressed
with the students.”
If you would like to be a part of an alumni
advisory board or to aid current students
in their professional development, please
reach out to John Vitale or Ashley Koser at
the LHU Foundation.
Helping Her Students Shine: LHU
Alumna Nominated for LifeChanger of
the Year
The days are long and
the challenges are
many, but being able
to see the positive
impact she’s having
in her students’ lives
makes it all worthwhile
for Jessica Joseph.
She never imagined that her passion for
educating young people would result
in being nominated for LifeChanger of
the Year, but people around her saw her
dedication to her students firsthand and
she’s now a LifeChanger nominee, vying
for an honor that is awarded to just 17
educators nationwide.
The award, sponsored by the National
Life Group Foundation, recognizes K-12
educators making a significant impact
in their students’ lives. Joseph is one of
more than 800 educators nominated.
Winners for the 2017-2018 school year
will be announced in the upcoming
months.
Joseph graduated from Lock Haven
University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s
Degree in Early Childhood Education and
Special Education. She also has a minor
in Political Science and was a part of the
national sorority Alpha Sigma Tau.
Now an autistic support teacher at the
Milton Area Middle School in Milton, Pa.,
she is reminiscent of how her experience
at LHU propelled her on her current path
for success and feels honored that she is
being considered for such a prestigious
award.
“Lock Haven’s education program has
a reputation of being one of the best
programs out of all of the state schools
and after experiencing the program I
could not agree more,” she said. “The
professors in both the early childhood
education program and the special
education program have so much
experience and showed me the amount
of work and effort you need to have in
order to be a teacher.”
LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY THE HAVEN SPRING 2018
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