Nathan Renick of Erie loves the outdoors, so attending the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford seemed like the perfect choice.
“It’s a nice, woodsy area,” he said, as he hung around outside his townhouse apartment during freshman move-in day Friday.
Incoming students are taking part in a three-day orientation that includes comedian Michael Dean Ester, a midnight run to Walmart, the Rio Carnival, academic division/program meetings and several other activities. Returning students will be back on campus today and Sunday, and fall classes start Monday.
Renick said he loves the setting of the campus, which is on more than 300 acres in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains and is surrounded by woods.
An exercise science major, he said he is excited about being on the baseball team. And he is looking forward “to see what’s here” at Pitt-Bradford, Renick said.
Elsewhere on campus that morning, parents and incoming students could be seen toting around luggage and other items on carts as the young people started on the next journey of their lives.
“We’re thrilled to be able to welcome a large freshman class this year,” Pitt-Bradford President Livingston Alexander told The Era. “I think it signals that we are becoming the college of choice for an increasing number of students in the Commonwealth and beyond.”
For Janean Rogers of Oil City, she said she has been feeling a mix of emotions — excitement and nervousness.
However, being at the campus — finally –– is a relief, said Rogers, as she sat on a bench outside the Frame-Westerberg Commons building.
She is a hospitality management major, and Pitt-Bradford’s program offering is what attracted her to enroll at the campus. As she settles into the school year, she said she is hoping to become part of one of the many clubs available at Pitt-Bradford.
Pitt-Bradford Dean of Student Affairs Dr. K. James Evans said he is glad school is back in session, and he said he is thrilled that this year’s freshman class is one of the largest for Pitt-Bradford.
“It’s so exciting. Pitt-Bradford is growing,” he said.
And Trenton Ferguson of Philipsburg, who was hauling his belongings up to his room at one of the other townhouse apartments across campus, said he is looking forward to being “on his own.” Ferguson, a computer science major, said he is excited and nervous and isn’t quite sure what kind of activities he will participate in at campus. But he knows for sure he will play basketball.
Outside of the townhouses, Tim Davidheiser of Foxtown was taking a break from moving his son into one of the residence halls.
Often people think that parents are on edge of having children head off to college for the first time. Not Davidheiser, who said he said is excited and comforted by the fact his son is attending Pitt-Bradford.
His son was getting moved into one of the townhouse apartments; he has aspirations of being a physician’s assistant, Davidheiser said.
“As I meet and greet our news students, it’s apparent that they’re coming to us with a purpose — to aggressively pursue their academic and career aspirations as they take advantage of the multitude of resources available to them on our campus,” Alexander said. “We look forward to another exciting and successful year at Pitt-Bradford, and clearly the new crop of students is an indication of great things to come.”
