Residential Housing Acquired

York College ACquireS AdditionAl HouSing

York College closed May 1 on the purchase of Mahoney House, a five-minute walk from the campus. The building will provide residential housing for students starting January 2022.

The building had served as an assisted living facility since it was built in 1985 but was closed by its corporate operator in late 2020. The college will renovate the interior and expand the parking lot during the next several months. When complete, it will be able to house up to 78 students.

The college had been evaluating several options to provide new housing to meet growing demand due to the college’s record enrollments reached in recent years.

“Living on campus is a signature component of the traditional York College experience,” President Sam Smith said. “When we learned about the closure of Mahoney House we contacted the owner to express our interest in the facility.

“After we complete a renovation, the property will provide students an updated housing option that includes large living spaces, private restrooms, and great spaces for student events. With our continued focus on growth, this new residence hall will enable us to reach our goals.”

Board chair, Dr. Wayne White added, “This property represents a great step forward in our strategic plan to thoughtfully grow the campus and enrollment. The total cost is a fraction of what we might spend otherwise, which matches our ongoing efforts to minimize costs and keep York College affordable.”

In light of the campus housing addition, Catherine Seufferlein, vice president for student development added, “We have long been aware of the need for upgraded residential space for our students, so we are tremendously excited to acquire Mahoney House. Not only will this open up new housing possibilities for our students; it will also expand our campus in many ways and provide new opportunities for life on campus. We are grateful for the creative and unexpected ways God continues to bless York College.” n

PBl MeMBerS Set tHeir SigHtS on nAtionAlS

The York College Professional Business Leaders chapter competed in the Nebraska PBL State Leadership Conference and came away with extensive hardware to prove it. Twentytwo members went virtually head to head with other colleges and universities in the state on April 10-11 in areas such as accounting principles, business ethics, impromptu speaking, and global analysis and decision making. Seventeen 1st place awards were received at state by York College PBL members in their designated competitions and out of the 22 YC students who participated, 19 qualified for PBL Nationals set to take place virtually in June.

“The students did extremely well, which says a lot about their work ethic and the excellent education being provided to them at YC,” said Dr. Stacie Turnbull, YC PBL Co-Advisor. Josh Santiago, a junior from Norfolk, Neb., was named the Nebraska PBL Member of the Year, received $500 cash, and is now in the running for National PBL Member of the Year. Santiago served as the 2020-21 Nebraska PBL Vice President of Communications. York College will have three students serving as state officers in 2021-22 including Santiago as next year’s president of Nebraska PBL. Along with Santiago will be Moriah Toledo, a junior from Fruitland, N.M., as VP of Communications, and Kitra Cody, a junior from Cody, Neb., as VP of Membership. Diego Korol, a senior from Santiago, Chile, and three-time national qualifier, served this past year as the Nebraska State PBL VP of Membership.

Both Santiago and Korol were honored with Who’s Who for NE PBL awards while Logan Dye, senior from Wylie, Texas, and 2020-21 York College PBL President, was named York College’s Who’s Who.

In addition to competitive events, the York College PBL chapter was honored with the Gold Excellence Award and received the traveling trophy for highest points in a chapter. Points are awarded for business and social activities held throughout the year, student membership, community service, business engagement, and fundraising. Based on membership, York College PBL is the largest PBL chapter in the state of Nebraska. n

Toledo Cody