Commencement this spring fostered double the emotion for the Rosario family as brothers Miguel ’23, M’24 and Yan ’24 both walked across the stage to accept their diplomas and conclude a journey that started for them in eighth grade as students in the Lebanon School District.

The Rosarios participated in LVC’s unique Lebanon Valley Education Partnership that encourages rising eighth graders with academic talent but economic hardship to continue their studies and consider college. Through LVEP, the Rosarios attended regular events on campus and engaged with current Dutchmen who served as mentors throughout their high school years. Students who complete LVEP receive scholarships to cover their tuition at LVC.

“LVEP changed my outlook on college as it actually prepared me for what to expect and made the whole college experience less scary,” said Miguel. “Being able to take in all the lessons they taught us and apply it during college was very helpful to making the transition to college much easier.”

Miguel earned his master’s in Speech-Language Pathology, a path he chose after talking with Dr. Michelle Scesa, Chair and Professor of Speech-Language Pathology. She explained how the field lacked male and bilingual speech-language pathologists (SLPs).

“I observed Dr. Scesa and various other SLPs that inspired me to pursue this major and be able to make a difference by helping individuals communicate. With this major, I can work in a variety of settings which gives me a lot of different options for the future,” said Miguel.

Miguel begins his career with a return to his alma mater of Lebanon and joins two other LVC speech-language pathology alumni working with students in the district.

“It feels wonderful as now I can also help to make a difference for these children, just how many others did for me when I was in school,” said Miguel.

For Yan, a Business and Accounting double major, an internship at the nearby chicken company Bell & Evans, provided hands-on learning that confirmed his career path. He worked in the Accounting Department, assisting with invoices related to processing their organic feed.

“My Accounting Information Systems class was very helpful when it came to dealing with the system software,” said Yan. “Having that background makes it so much easier to input those invoices and make sure everything is up-to-date.”

Yan found the internship by connecting with LVC’s Breen Center for Career and Professional Development. The staff there coached Yan with his résumé and a mock interview that made him less nervous during the actual interview for the internship.

“My biggest takeaway from the internship is that they really prepared me to juggle multiple assignments all at once. I had work, my internship, and my school work to make sure I handled all of my responsibilities,” said Yan.

Yan accepted a full-time position with RKL Accounting. He said, “These last four years really prepared me for the real word, and I feel like I can overcome any challenge that I see in the workforce. I’m very thankful for LVC.”