Giving Credit to BC3
There are thousands of people who call themselves Pioneer Proud.
Many of them live nearby, and a few now live afar, but most Butler County Community College alums appreciate the opportunities they were given at the college. More than 16,000 students in the past 50 years have completed at least 45 credits at BC3.
Here are three of their stories.
The school celebrates the 50th anniversary of its charter Tuesday.
A smart place to start
Alums have touted the affordability, the convenience and the welcoming atmosphere as reasons they began their higher education at BC3.
Tony Shakely, a marketing specialist with the Armco Credit Union, studied there because of the financial incentive.
“I was the fourth of four kids, and we all were lucky enough to get scholarships to go to BC3. So the biggest motivation for me at that time was cost,” he said.
Shakely studied communications there from 1992 to 1994, and then transferred to Slippery Rock University, where he received a Bachelor's degree in marketing in 1996.
Meanwhile, for Mary Beth Rock, owner of the pet sitting business Paws for Comfort, it was for the opportunity to study as a nontraditional student.By the time she went back to school, she had been working in the veterinary field for several years and had a family.“I knew I wanted something more,” Rock said. “I certainly had the opportunity at age 18 to go to college. I just didn't take it at that time. So I, at age 37, stepped on campus, which was a big deal, 20 some years away from the classroom, to step back on and take the initiative.”She received an Associate degree in marketing management from BC3 in 2005, and then received a Bachelor's in Ttechnical management from DeVry University online.Don Best of Best Insurance in Butler attended BC3 because while he was a bright student, he admittedly wasn't sure what he wanted to do.“I wasn't terribly driven to do one specific thing,” he said.After transferring from a Clarion University branch campus in Oil City, Best attended BC3, received an Associate degree in education, and received his Bachelor's degree in education from Penn State University.BC3's impactA college education can resonate years, even decades later, with memorable instructors, classes and activities.Best, who was involved with the college radio station WEED, was able to broaden his perspective as a recent high school graduate through attending classes with older students.“I was able to meet and be in school with a lot of returning Vietnam vets, which was a whole different perspective than just being there with another 18-year-old. So I appreciated that experience,” he said.Shakely was involved with the student newspaper and on the school's basketball team. And as a marketing specialist, classes like public speaking can make a huge difference, as ordinary as it sounds.Instructors also played a big role in the experience. Best and Shakely both see former professors from time to time and catch up with them.Rock had originally returned to school to transition to a life in the corporate world at Verizon Wireless. But a few years after landing her corporate job, she found that she wanted to get back to working with animals like she had before.She recalled what Pearl Shaffer, an adjunct instructor, had told in one of her classes.“I can always remember that one instructor, always speaking about, listen to your 'aha' moments in life when you have them,” she said.And she had a few: Namely, when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2010.“God left me here for a reason. And I was very sick. I'm lucky to be alive,” Rock said. “When I kind of stepped back and looked at all of that I thought I needed to be doing something more fulfilling.”She now owns and operates a pet sitting business throughout Butler, with a six-person staff and 150 clients, helping pet owners with walks and meals during the work day, and drop-in and overnight visits during out-of-town stays.“You need to step away from what you're doing and you need to go back to what's really important,” she said.Shakely, Rock and Best are among 12 Alumni Council members, assisting with BC3 alum events and activities.While Rock admitted going back to school as someone in their 30s versus their teens is difficult, she said the investment is worthwhile. She recently started a BC3 scholarship in her name for returning adults.“BC3 is such a good fit for so many people, but they just don't realize it. And a lot of people, they might feel they're not savvy enough to navigate the system,” she said. “I give back to the college, because I feel like the college gave me my start, and at a later point in life. I mean, it's different when you're 18, you know?”For instance, most scholarships are geared for students right out of high school.For Best and Shakely, it was a matter of discovering their interests at a more affordable cost.“I think there's a lot of money that's wasted and a lot of debt that people go into that they don't have to,” Best said. “If you're at all up in the air about what you want to do, why spend all that money?“Going there, you get a lot of those basic courses out of the way and get a feel for what you might want to do or don't want to do. Hopefully more people recognize the value of all of the different programs they have and take advantage of it.”
Best, who was involved with the college radio station WEED, was able to broaden his perspective as a recent high school graduate through attending classes with older students.“I was able to meet and be in school with a lot of returning Vietnam vets, which was a whole different perspective than just being there with another 18-year-old. So I appreciated that experience,” he said.Shakely was involved with the student newspaper and on the school's basketball team. And as a marketing specialist, classes like public speaking can make a huge difference, as ordinary as it sounds.Instructors also played a big role in the experience. Best and Shakely both see former professors from time to time and catch up with them.Rock had originally returned to school to transition to a life in the corporate world at Verizon Wireless. But a few years after landing her corporate job, she found that she wanted to get back to working with animals like she had before.She recalled what Pearl Shaffer, an adjunct instructor, had told in one of her classes.“I can always remember that one instructor, always speaking about, listen to your 'aha' moments in life when you have them,” she said.And she had a few: Namely, when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2010.“God left me here for a reason. And I was very sick. I'm lucky to be alive,” Rock said. “When I kind of stepped back and looked at all of that I thought I needed to be doing something more fulfilling.”She now owns and operates a pet sitting business throughout Butler, with a six-person staff and 150 clients, helping pet owners with walks and meals during the work day, and drop-in and overnight visits during out-of-town stays.“You need to step away from what you're doing and you need to go back to what's really important,” she said.Shakely, Rock and Best are among 12 Alumni Council members, assisting with BC3 alum events and activities.While Rock admitted going back to school as someone in their 30s versus their teens is difficult, she said the investment is worthwhile. She recently started a BC3 scholarship in her name for returning adults.“BC3 is such a good fit for so many people, but they just don't realize it. And a lot of people, they might feel they're not savvy enough to navigate the system,” she said. “I give back to the college, because I feel like the college gave me my start, and at a later point in life. I mean, it's different when you're 18, you know?”For instance, most scholarships are geared for students right out of high school.For Best and Shakely, it was a matter of discovering their interests at a more affordable cost.“I think there's a lot of money that's wasted and a lot of debt that people go into that they don't have to,” Best said. “If you're at all up in the air about what you want to do, why spend all that money?“Going there, you get a lot of those basic courses out of the way and get a feel for what you might want to do or don't want to do. Hopefully more people recognize the value of all of the different programs they have and take advantage of it.”
And she had a few: Namely, when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2010.“God left me here for a reason. And I was very sick. I'm lucky to be alive,” Rock said. “When I kind of stepped back and looked at all of that I thought I needed to be doing something more fulfilling.”She now owns and operates a pet sitting business throughout Butler, with a six-person staff and 150 clients, helping pet owners with walks and meals during the work day, and drop-in and overnight visits during out-of-town stays.“You need to step away from what you're doing and you need to go back to what's really important,” she said.Shakely, Rock and Best are among 12 Alumni Council members, assisting with BC3 alum events and activities.While Rock admitted going back to school as someone in their 30s versus their teens is difficult, she said the investment is worthwhile. She recently started a BC3 scholarship in her name for returning adults.“BC3 is such a good fit for so many people, but they just don't realize it. And a lot of people, they might feel they're not savvy enough to navigate the system,” she said. “I give back to the college, because I feel like the college gave me my start, and at a later point in life. I mean, it's different when you're 18, you know?”For instance, most scholarships are geared for students right out of high school.For Best and Shakely, it was a matter of discovering their interests at a more affordable cost.“I think there's a lot of money that's wasted and a lot of debt that people go into that they don't have to,” Best said. “If you're at all up in the air about what you want to do, why spend all that money?“Going there, you get a lot of those basic courses out of the way and get a feel for what you might want to do or don't want to do. Hopefully more people recognize the value of all of the different programs they have and take advantage of it.”
