From the President

SMALL AND MIGHTY. That’s a fitting description of Harcum College. Compared to research universities with tens of thousands of students, within the higher education industry, we are considered a small college. But Harcum equips graduates for success to rival and better larger institutions in the region as this issue of Patches illustrates.

Take our Fashion Programs. While competing against institutions many times our size, Harcum fashion designers accomplished extraordinary things. One 2022 graduate Diana Cornejo, whose entire academic program was delivered online, received an invitation to Philly Fashion Week to show her full collection. Another current student Briana Ruffin topped competitors from four-year institutions by winning the “Next Up” recycling challenge, Philly Fashion Week’s student contest.

How is Harcum able to achieve these stellar outcomes? Through a winning blend of quality instruction coupled with opportunity. This edition also explains how the Animal Center Management (ACM) degree, with a curriculum that taps into contemporary pet-owning trends, gives graduates the skills and the connections they need to succeed in their field. Victor Ortiz ’22 met his future employer at a Career Fair sponsored by our Career and Transfer Services Department and received a job offer upon graduation. Like Diana Cornejo, he took advantage of Harcum’s online option for study.

With degree in hand, another ACM alumna Drew McKay ’17 started a best-in-class Doggie Day Care Center. This year, she expanded the facility and added boarding to the services she provides for a growing roster of happy clients.

Our mighty Women’s Basketball Team advanced to the NJCAA D-II National Playoffs in March, finishing fourth in the country, representing Harcum and its unique brand of excellence on the national stage. All-American guard Amaris Baker and Coach Riley Maye were named Region 19 Player of the Year and Region 19 Coach of the Year, respectively. We share these stories with you because we are mighty proud of everything our students have achieved at Harcum College.

Until next time,

Veterinary Nurse is Newest Harcum Star

Ayanna McCain, a 2019 graduate, was recognized as the first Harcum Star of 2022, a unique Veterinary Nursing Program honor. McCain was named an exemplary employee of Hickory Veterinary and Specialty Hospital in Plymouth Meeting, a third-generation privately owned veterinary hospital and an official Veterinary Partner to the Veterinary Nursing program. Alicia Carr, Hickory’s Externship Coordinator, nominated her for this honor. Carr said, “Ayanna always puts her patients first.” McCain credits Harcum for teaching her to think on her feet.

Harcum Lands On Monopoly Game

Monopoly, the ubiquitous board game that single-handedly launched the board game industry in 1935, now features a new Main Line, PA edition that launched on October 12, 2022, with a green square specifically showcasing Harcum College, that is available for purchase online.

“It’s exciting to be recognized in the Main Line community with our very own square,” said President Jon Jay DeTemple. “The influence of private colleges is vital to this edition.”

“This is a win for everyone on the Main Line,” said Dr. Alexander Klein, Board Chair, whose grandfather, former president Philip Klein, would have been proud to see Harcum included along with Villanova, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr.

Student Emergency Fund Grows

This fall, Harcum College rededicated resources to the Student Emergency Fund. A small and nimble interdepartmental committee was reconstituted to review applications for funding and quickly disperse aid, going from application for funds to disbursement in five days or less, with awards of up to $300 per request.

“Having this fund is important,” President Jon Jay DeTemple. “A little goes a long way and can make a huge difference in students’ lives.”

EUREKA! A GYM IN MELVILLE

The Harcum Mile project principals First Lady Margi DeTemple and Roxanne Sutton were flabbergasted that Melville Hall once had a gymnasium in the basement.

Alumnae interviewed for the “The Harcum Mile” project told Mrs. DeTemple students took dance classes in Melville’s basement. After finding an outdated bookmark referencing a basketball court in Melville, she and Roxanne Sutton made their descent to a room below Melville's basement, accompanied by Facilities Director Nicolay Karpalo and Director of the Photography Program Drew Simcox. After mopping dust from the floor, they uncovered the original gymnasium floor, featured in archival photos.

Upstairs, Sutton found ceiling radiators within the present-day facilities area that matched the radiators pictured in an archival photo. The shadow of old exterior stairs to the gym are in the enclosed breezeway between the Bear’s Den and the door to the basement of Melville Hall.

PICTURED: Students once took fitness classes in a gymnasium in the basement of Melville Hall; the three windows at the left of the photo underneath the conference room confirm the location of the basement gym.

Barbie Goes To College

The Admissions Department at Harcum College secretly organizes a bold and inventive team costume unveiled every Halloween. This year, eight team members dressed up as career-ready major Barbies (left to right)–Early Childhood Education, Vet Nursing, Histotechnician, Criminal Justice, Dental Hygiene, Fashion Programs, Business Management, and Women’s Soccer–for their 2022 Halloween team costume. President Jon Jay DeTemple joined them, portraying the Ken doll.