2019 Annual Report - 5

A Fresh
START
M
arcus Richardson started his journey with Thaddeus
Stevens College of Technology in 2010, when he enrolled
as a full time student following graduation from McCaskey High
School in the city of Lancaster.
Richardson got mixed up with a bad crowd, and spent some time in prison. Finding a good job,
and preparing for the career he envisioned when he started at Thaddeus Stevens College would
be a challenge. " I'm from the street. I understand. After you mess up, it's hard to get a decent job
because now you have a record, " said Richardson.
Five years after he first enrolled at Thaddeus Stevens, Richardson got the second chance he was
looking for through a connection with the CareerLink Re-entry program. He became part of the
College's first Metalcasting " Skill-Up Fast " class, acing the three-week program and immediately
landing a job with J. Walter Miller in Lancaster.
Richardson applied to the College again, this time enrolling in the two-year Electrical Technology
program beginning in Fall 2016. Throughout the two-year associate degree program, he maintained
a nearly perfect grade point average while working full time at the foundry.
" I realized I wanted to do more and I went back to Stevens for electrical technology, " he said. " It
was very hard. I worked a full 40-hour work shift, Monday through Saturday, and was also a fulltime
student at Stevens. I went to work at 1 a.m., finished my shift, went to school for a full day of
classes and then repeated it. "
Richardson credits his success to the support he received as a Thaddeus Stevens College student.
" I was able to do it because Stevens gave me the opportunity. They knew I was working 40hour
weeks and going to school and they were willing to give me extra help when I needed it, "
Richardson said. " I finished my associate degree in two years and graduated magna cum laude and
Phi Beta Kappa. "
One professor was particularly helpful at a very difficult time. Richardson was awarded a coveted
internship, but when the company did a background check and his criminal record came up, the
internship was rescinded.
5

2019 Annual Report

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2019 Annual Report