Keystone College graduates, officials reflect on hope for the future

LA PLUME TWP. — After financial struggles put its future in question for the last several months, Keystone College’s graduation ceremony Saturday was filled with a message of hope for the future.

On Friday, the college announced it was nearing finalization of a rescue deal with an unnamed investor to save it from losing accreditation and keep it financially afloat.

“As all of you know, we’ve had our share of challenges this year and I’m incredibly grateful for all the hard work of our dedicated faculty and staff who persevered to get us here today,” President John F. Pullo Sr. said in his opening remarks of the college’s 153rd commencement.

Pullo looked back on his own graduation in 1969 from Keystone, which was then a junior college.

Pullo described himself as a “working-class kid from the Bronx” and a first-generation college graduate who never foresaw himself as the college’s 12th president.

“I’m now giving back to a place I deeply believe in,” he said.

Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas Judge Frank Ruggiero, a 1991 Keystone College graduate, took to the stage to deliver the keynote address to the 250 graduates, quickly removing his academic cap.

Ruggiero said he hoped he wasn’t breaking any rules.

“It’s a good day to start a new tradition,” he said.

Ruggiero went on remind graduates of the value of both success and failure.

“As successes abound, the quality of failing, the level of failing, should also be increasing,” he said. “Success comes most often to those who are willing to accept setbacks as common occurrences that must be dealt with constructively if we are to reach our goal.”

Outstanding Graduate Alexandra Thornton lauded her classmates for overcoming challenges during their collegiate careers, including a pandemic.

Those challenges, she said, have prepared them for future success.

She pointed out the diversity of her class, which included parents, those returning to school after a break and older students.

She encouraged her classmates to thank at least one person who helped them successfully complete their college journey.

“I know you all have someone in mind,” she said. “I have more than a handful.”

Pullo said hard work is key to long-term success.

“That is why we are here today and will be here tomorrow,” he said.

The college next will notify the Middle States Commission on Higher Education about the deal as soon an agreement is signed. When that might occur was not stated.

The college “is in the final stages of executing a letter of intent and funding agreement with a strategic partner to create a new partnership that will provide Keystone with a road map for a long-term path forward,” the Friday announcement said.

The college did not elaborate about the investor, the amount to be contributed, the terms of a deal or the nature of a partnership.

“While details of the agreement are not yet public, the day-to-day operations of the college and its academic mission will remain essentially unchanged,” the statement said.

Pullo, Vicki A. Stanavitch ’92, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic and student affairs, and attorney Daniel Haggerty, chair of Keystone’s board of trustees, presented the degrees and certificates to the graduates.

The following local students received degrees:

Master of Accountancy: Donald Ross Faux, Dallas; Anthony Patrick Garvey, Dupont; Walter JeanPaul Gonzalez, Scranton; Wendy Lu Johnson, Elmhurst; Taylor Anne Reynolds, Factoryville; and Stacey E. Ryan, Clarks Summit.

Master of Business Administration: Mark James Ambrose, Honesdale; Jordan Michael Art, Jermyn; David William Borys Jr., Factoryville; Levi Michael Caster, Drexel Hill; T’Keyah James Russell Faux, Scranton; Courtney Michelle Freeman, Hop Bottom; John Paul Gorel, Carbondale; Paul Joseph Kaschak, Jermyn; Charles Martin Koytek, III, Moosic; Jillian Leslie Martin, Berwick; Ashley Marie Mitchell, Roaring Brook; Michaela Marie Morales, Clarks Green; Sarah Elizabeth Robinson, Dupont; Lindsey Taylor Smith Buckwalter, Pocono Pines; James George Stanavitch, North Abington Twp; Natalie Elizabeth Werner, Clifton; and Marie LuAnn Leopardo Wolf, Pittston.

Master of Education: Mary Louise Anne Byrne, Blakely; Donna J. Reid-Kilgore, Forty Fort; and Jessica Elizabeth Vanchure, West Pittston.

Master of Science in Criminal Justice: Jeremy Paul Collins, Dupont; Brooke Evans, Wilkes-Barre; Krystle Kowalczyk, Harding; Brian Skutnick, Scranton; and Zoe Leigh White, Simpson.

Master of Science in Sport Leadership Management: John Caines, Olyphant; Lauryn Victoria Rodriguez, Peckville; Taylor Lyn Cercone, Dalton; and Ethan M. Heller, Benton.

Bachelor of Arts: Karris Cathrine Fazzi, New Milford; Elizabeth Ann Franzo, Cresco; Robert Gray, Hop Bottom; Jakob T. Ortola, Lake Ariel; and Andrea Celeste Walcott, Factoryville.

Bachelor of Science: Maria D. Alonso Gomez, Scranton; Noah James Atkins, Factoryville; Grant Matthew Baker, Simpson; Lewis Norton Beavers, Nicholson; Katelyn Lee Beck, Waymart; Kaylee Jade Beckage, Carbondale; Chase Joseph Briskie, Moosic; Zackery Lee Brown, Factoryville; Gabriellia Grace Bruce, Montrose; Arielle Lee Burdett, Scranton; Ajalaya Juanita Butts, Wilkes-Barre; Zoe Elizabeth Castillo, Scranton; Jonathan J. Clark, Peckville; Kathryn C. Cooper, Dunmore; Taylah Jean Culver, Springville; David Curreri, Beach Lake; Erika De La Rosa, Hazleton; Ryan Jacob DeRemer, Monroe Twp.; Colleen Elizabeth Dolan, Archbald; Colby Donahue, Mayfield; Ashley Sabrina Dooley, Greenfield Twp.; Robert Benny Ferraro, Jessup; Hailegebrael Mulushwa Fitsum, Peckville; Luis Gabriel Francisco, Laceyville; Amanda DeeAnna Friday, Scranton; Hannah Elizabeth Fryzel, Moscow; Jennifer Marie Gaughan, Carbondale; Danielle Ashley Gebert, Waymart; Holly Frances Gibbs, Scott Twp.; Sulmary Goméz Zayas, Scranton; Jazmyn Gonzalez, Scranton; Michael Green, Dalton; Madison Lee Guzzo, Hawley; Haylee Allouise Hein, Dunmore; Phoebe Louise Hnatko, Roaring Brook Twp.; Xavier Robert Houser, Nicholson; Zoey K. Kermidas, Scranton; Clifford Charles Kingston, Tunkhannock; Jay Alexander Koller, Old Forge; Brendan Allan Kucharski, Throop; Alexander Christian Kuha, Moscow; Kennadi Rachele Kusmierz, Laceyville; Mandy LaCoe, Throop; Noah Lance, Scranton; Meira Levin, Clarks Summit; Daisy Ann Marie Luddy, Throop; Veronica Angelis Machicote, Kingston; Julia Leigh Martinez, Clarks Summit; Miranda Lillian Mascia, Blakeslee; Mackenzie Elizabeth Moira McElroy, Blakely; Adrianna Marie McGuire, Scranton; Robxavier Mendez Reyes, Throop; Anthony James Merone, Waymart; Joshua Michael Moyer, Emmaus; Aidan Alexander Mullen, Clarks Summit; Seamus Owen Nichols, Factoryville; Christopher Adam Noldy, Greenfield Twp.; John Thomas Noldy, Greenfield Twp.; Donovan Scott Oliver, Hallstead; Nafisat Titilayo Oseni, Hanover Twp.; Yudith Paez, Hazleton; Amanda Elizabeth Parry-Case, Tunkhannock; Keely Elizabeth Patton, Scranton; Brandon Peck, Scranton; Jenna Nicole Perfilio, South Abington Twp.; Sara Jessica Regni, Clarks Summit; David Grant Rinker, Mehoopany; Susan Carlie Rode, Dunmore; Steven Rodriguez, Tobyhanna; Halley Bonita Schwartz, Carbondale; Ryan Jonathan Semyon, Moosic; Kassidy Lyn Shirtz, Tunkhannock; Trinity Faith Skovira, Shavertown; Melissa Anne Smith, Scranton; McKenzie Lynn Sweigart, Trout Run; Nickolas Shaw Termini, Clarks Summit; Alexandra Thornton, Nicholson; Madison Marie Tremmel, Dalton; Corinne R. Trichilo, Greenfield Twp.; Shelby Morgan Valunas, Old Forge; Jazmine Jakeline Vega, Scranton; Ashley Anne Waldron, Little Meadows; Megan Abigail Whitman, Avoca; Jacob Wielgopolski, Avoca; Alexus Lea Wilbur, Nicholson; Breanna Elizabeth Wood, Dalton; Christopher Joseph Zabrowski, Jermyn; and Diane Sue Zemany, Wapwallopen; Associate in Science: Alyssa Bulford, Pittston; Jennifer Garcia, Wilkes- Barre; Nathan Blake Hazelton, Scranton; Beth Ann Kane, Clarks Summit; Kara Elizabeth Kilhullen, Carbondale; Haley Jo McGroarty, New Albany; Kaitlyn Ann Mulshenock, Scranton; Mary Elizabeth Reid, Clarks Summit; Emily Nichole Robinson, Dunmore; Emily Rose Seward, Dalton; Gina Marie Shafer, Scranton; Gavin A. Shaffer, Throop; Jason Lee Smith, Susquehanna; Samantha Yaron, Stillwater; and Heather L. Zaruta, Luzerne.