The Tower Fall 2020 - 7

We have a large facility at Greenfield
Industrial Park that houses our
Masonry and Welding programs.
Sometime this coming year Stevens
will be moving into another new
building, as well, containing 85,000
sq. ft. of floor space. This building
will be known as the Transportation
Center. It will house Diesel Mechanics,
Automotive Technology and Collision
Repair Technology. It will be a mustsee.
An unbelievable number of campus
improvements and beautification
projects have taken place over the
years that you'll thoroughly enjoy
when you see them. Governor
Wolf and members of the General
Assembly have been most supportive
in the phenomenal growth in
enrollment and campus expansions. It
is the type of cooperation that allows
Stevens to open its doors wider than
ever before, which allows Stevens
to increase those numbers in the
training of young men and women
in the broad range of technical fields
that are so critical to industry and the
technical skill growth of America.
A new dining hall, dorm and a parking
garage will be forthcoming in late
2021 or 2022. When they are built
and landscaped, I believe that would
be the appropriate time to visit the
campus for a grand tour. Be sure you
take the opportunity to visit the off
campus new home construction site
and see the beautiful duplex homes
that the students are building. The
instructors have the students building
homes that have been claiming 1st
place in the Parade of Homes Awards
three years in a row. It speaks volumes
to the high caliber training a student
receives at Stevens.
In retrospect you can see Thaddeus
Stevens College of Technology
got where we're at today because
everyone had their oars in the water
working with unity and commitment
and they've paddled hard. Yes, you did
it and you did it well to move Stevens
College forward.
In the Foundation department, I'm
delighted to say, I had the privilege of
working together with Sophia Hower,
our Foundation Administrator, for 22
exceptionally great years of progress.
Consistent dedication to her job was
ever present meeting the challenge of
a growing enrollment year after year

which now totals in the area of a little
more than 1,300 students. I personally
thank her for her professionalism and
the performance and execution of all
her duties.
On the other half of the Foundation
office is the House of Champ, which
is the campus retailer of all types
of beautiful college sportswear. The
manager is Peg Hess who has been
with us 4 years and who has done a
fantastic job in expanding her endless
marketing skills and growing sales
online through the internet. Peg is
extremely creative and interacts
with the students and parents with
ease. Peg is also a wonderful help in
conducting the role of Administrative
Assistant, which is of immeasurable
value to our office especially for me
because I've never proclaimed to be a
genius at the keyboard.
Working with President Griscom
over the last 23 years has been an
unforgettable experience in seeing
the college grow step by step year
after year to where it is today. My
personal dreams have come true
for Thaddeus Stevens College of
Technology. It's like the skies opened
up and clouds parted, and Stevens has
finally drawn national recognition for
their remarkable job of successfully
changing the lives of young people
through technical education, boldly
confirming just what we've been
doing repeatedly well over the last 115
years. It would be astonishing to most
to see endless number of students
still streaming in our doors in hopes of
qualifying for a Stevens education.
On October 1st I quietly celebrated
my 78th birthday. It was 23 years
ago on October 1st that Dr. Griscom
accepted the presidency of Thaddeus
Stevens College. You may think it's

a coincidence, but October 1st last
week was the first day for the newly
elected Pedro Rivera to accept the
presidential reins of Thaddeus Stevens
College of Technology. I can joyfully
say President Rivera came with an
abundance of enthusiasm ready to
launch Stevens College into the 21st
century with vision and purpose.
One of the most memorable moments
I cherished as I was working at the
Stevens Foundation is when I was
given the opportunity to give a
historical resume presentation at
the White House on our benefactor,
Thaddeus Stevens. I welled up as I
stood in the Oval Office intensely
looking at the many gifts given to
the President by the Heads of State
of other countries. Being in the Oval
Office of the President of the United
States of America meant so much
to me considering the poverty and
neglect I went through as a kid. This
was quite a personal honor in my
ongoing pursuit to get approval for
a commemorative stamp bearing the
engraved bust of Thaddeus Stevens.
I'm still aggressively pursuing that
goal.
Every day brings about a measure
of joy when you see the students
moving around the campus. Some
are running from building to building,
just to burn off some energy. Others
are sitting about on benches relaxing
in conversations or working on
tomorrow's assignments. As young
men and women they never realize
their own potential until after they
are out of college and introduced into
the work world, and it's there it all
begins. The most fascinating day of
all is graduation. To see them receive
their diplomas and walk across the
stage brimming with a foot wide
smile and filled with the pride of
achievement in knowing they did it
and they did it well will undoubtedly
bring tears to your eyes. The aura of
being surrounded by youth is etched
in stone, which makes working
at Stevens an everlasting golden
memory in its own. I know from
experience that friendships formed at
Stevens will last a lifetime. 
Respectfully,

Alex B. Munro
Fall 2020  7
The Tower Fall 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Tower Fall 2020
