Lebanon Valley College Celebrates 156th Commencement.
Gov. Tom Corbett '71 received an honorary doctorate during the undergraduate ceremony and served as the afternoon's graduate-level ceremony keynote speaker.
Annville, PA (05/10/2025) — Nearly 400 (398) students in the Lebanon Valley College Class of 2025 celebrated their educational and personal accomplishments during a morning Commencement Ceremony today. Another 193 graduate-level students participated in a separate ceremony at 2 p.m. Both ceremonies were held in the Louis A. Sorrentino '54 Gymnasium.
Dr. Daniel Pitonyak, Associate Professor of Physics and Co-Chair of Chemistry and Physics, was the morning's Commencement speaker by virtue of being named the Vickroy Award winner (see below) during the 2024 Commencement Celebration. Gov. Thomas "Tom" Corbett, Esq., LVC Class of 1971, received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the morning ceremony and was the Keynote speaker during the afternoon ceremony (see Gov. Corbett's speech below).
Along with honoring graduates, LVC revealed the winners of the following major annual awards:
The H. Anthony Neidig and Gene Bowman Neidig Award (LVC's top student award)-Abigail "Abby" Souder '25, a Biology major minoring in Chemistry who will attend the Penn State College of Medicine this fall.
This year's prize was made possible thanks to the generosity of Kathy Neidig Calabrese and Tony Calabrese, both LVC Class of 1973, in honor of Kathy's father, Dr. Tony Neidig '43, H'04, and mother, Gene Bowman Neidig.
The Thomas Rhys Vickroy Distinguished Teacher Award (LVC's top honor for a full-time faculty member)-Dr. Justin Mierzwicki, Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy.
The Nevelyn J. Knisley Award (LVC's top part-time or adjunct College faculty member)-Sarah Bartz, Adjunct Professor and Director of Academic Success.
Dr. Alan Walker, Chair & Assistant Professor of Exercise Science, received the Educator of the Year Award from Student Government members on Friday, April 25. This honor is bestowed annually on a member of the full-time faculty who embodies the transformative power of the LVC experience, in and out of the classroom.
Also on April 25, Brian Boyer, Campus Safety Supervisor, received the third-annual Administrator or Staff Member of the Year Award. This award is presented to a non-faculty member who has significantly impacted a student's time at LVC.
Gov. Corbett's Speech to Lebanon Valley College's 2025 Class of Graduate-Level Students
Thank you, President McLaren and Trustees, for the honor you bestowed on me during this morning's Commencement Ceremony and for inviting me to speak to the graduates we are celebrating this afternoon.
To the students, I am pleased to recognize your perseverance in continuing your education. Thank you for choosing Lebanon Valley College to guide you in the pursuit of knowledge and the development of your careers.
I take great pride in having received my undergraduate education from LVC. I am curious: do you know what Harvard, Yale, Penn, and MIT have in common with Lebanon Valley College? Those institutions are the alma maters of recent Pennsylvania Governors. I think that speaks volumes about the quality of education this College offers its students.
Today, we recognize your success in completing your graduate work. We are celebrating the 195 graduates who have completed studies in twelve master's programs and one doctorate program. You come from eleven states, with two students from Washington and one from California being the furthestexcept for our Master of Education candidate from Japan.
Collectively, your class already has an impressive record of public service and scholarship. You have done clinical work in Italy, on military bases and Tribal Lands. You have conducted hearing tests and offered STEM programs in local elementary schools. You have evaluated stroke patients in hospitals and contributed countless hours to the College's Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing Disorders and CURE Clinic. You have presented research at professional conferences and published your work in professional journals. And this class even has a volunteer fireman.
You are so impressive that I think you all deserve a round of applause.
As you begin this new phase of your journey, I'd like to offer several lessons I learned on my path to the Governor's Office. Please understand that in 1967, as a freshman at Lebanon Valley College, no one-including myself-would have believed where I'd end up. In fact, I learned recently that I almost didn't make it into LVC. A former admissions officer told me that when my application was considered, the evaluators were on the fence. But they decided to "take a flier" on me. Thankfully, they said yes.
I truly believe that the two most defining moments in my life are the decision to come to LVC and meeting my wife Susan on this campus. I got lucky and I chose wisely. At that time, I didn't fully appreciate that my education was the foundation for a successful career. Moving forward would require a series of building blocks-consecutive steps of opportunities, experiences, and increasing responsibilities. I had a lot to learn.
One of the first lessons on my path was to recognize that all work has value. You can learn something from every job-from the people you work for and the people you work with. My resume does not include the time I spent flipping burgers or painting all the fire hydrants in Hershey-two summer jobs I did after graduating from LVC.
I also worked for a waste management company. When I ran for election as Attorney General, my opponent aired negative ads featuring a cartoon version of me driving a garbage truck. This job introduced me to the concept of an impact fee-funds the industry paid communities who hosted landfills. Years later, when I became Governor and the natural gas industry took hold in Pennsylvania, I pushed for an impact fee. That fee has pumped almost three billion dollars into county and state coffers. It has saved family farms and revitalized communities in the Marcellus Shale region.
Even with an advanced degree, you may not enter your chosen field at the level or the salary you want. Some of you may already be working but aren't advancing as quickly as expected. My advice? Be the best at the job you are doing. Work harder than any of your colleagues. Demonstrate that you are prepared for the next step. If that doesn't work, be open to change. If something doesn't come your way, go out and find it. Have the courage to forge your own path. Dream big and be relentless in the pursuit of your dream.
As you are seeking that next step, consider volunteering. Determine where you want to go in your career and search for opportunities that may help you advance. Donate time to a nonprofit; work with a professional organization or a political campaign; join a board or coach your child's soccer team. Volunteering can introduce you to other people, other ideas, and other opportunities.
My volunteering on a political campaign eventually led to a presidential appointment as U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Those of you who have devoted time to public service, most likely have discovered the profound satisfaction that comes with giving of your time and talents. The personal and professional rewards are immeasurable. You will be demonstrating commitment and expanding your network.
Have you heard these axioms? The thrill of victory, the agony of defeatNothing ventured, nothing gained. Risk, failure, and success are ingrained in our psyche. No one likes to fail but the risk of failing is necessary if you are to reach your potential. You may fail to meet your quota or close a deal. You may lose a client or fail to help a patient. You may fail to meet your bosses' expectations or the expectations you have for yourself.
However, if you take calculated risks and learn from your mistakes or shortcomings, failure can be the impetus for success. It becomes an opportunity for growth, innovation, and achievement. I think of the story about Thomas Edison and the invention of the light bulb. When asked by a reporter about his years of unsuccessful efforts, Edison famously said, "I did not fail. I just found 10,000 ways that did not work."
In a long career, you most certainly will face challenges. How do you make the difficult decisions? How do you handle the disappointment of criticism or failure? This is when you rely on your moral compass-the values, beliefs, and principles you carry throughout your lifetime.
If you are honest and empathetic; if your decisions are informed and your actions are ethical; and if your intentions are to benefit the greater good, rather than self-gratification, your moral compass will tell you that you are doing the right thing. And doing the right thing is worth the risk of failure.
My time at LVC, my education here, nurtured my moral compass. Learning about your academic achievements, and your dedication to others, convinced me that this college has nurtured you as well. As you move forward in your chosen careers, I trust that you will carry with you the spirit of Lebanon Valley College. Congratulations again on reaching this milestone and best wishes for success in your future endeavors.
Go, Dutchmen!