Peirce College 2011 Commencement Tells a Philadelphia Story

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Monday, June 13, Peirce College will hold its 146^th Commencement. The event, which will be held in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, begins at 6:45 PM. Peirce College is a private, non-profit, four-year, accredited institution located in Philadelphia that provides practical curricula to working adult learners.

“I realize that in today’s economy and current work environment having a degree will help provide me with the tools for potential growth and career development. I am proud to have accomplished the first steps in my journey to success”

The keynote address will be given by Charisse R. Lillie, Vice President, Community Investment, Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast Foundation.

Shandai Moore-Jenkins is the student speaker and is the founder of Chosen 300 Ministries, Inc., a non-profit organization which provides humanitarian relief programs in the United States and several countries around the world. Like most Peirce students she is a working adult, balancing life, family and business, as well as studies.

The majority of the Class of 2011 graduates are residents of Philadelphia. Sixty-five percent are between the ages of 31 and 60; one graduate is 61. Sixty-nine percent are female and more than 50 percent are people of color.

Peirce builds a lifelong tradition of learning, not only among students and alumni but also within families. This year, two mother and son duos will be graduating together. Clarice James and her son Keith Carney, from the Wissinoming and Tacony sections of the Northeast, will receive degrees in Business Administration. James is employed by the City of Philadelphia. Peirce is her alma mater, having graduated in 1983 with an associate degree. “Getting my bachelor’s was something I always wanted to do for myself,” she said. Carney is an ex serviceman in the U.S. Navy, who also played safety for the Philadelphia Steelers in the semi-pro IFL League.

Steve Hackney is in the U.S. Army Reserves and took classes while deployed. He will receive a bachelor’s degree in Paralegal Studies and wants to go to law school. Due to his schedule in the military, some of his classes were designed around his needs. “Thanks to my professors—they made it work,” he said. Hackney wants to build a career in law and instill the importance of education in his two daughters. He says his unit may be called up for duty in Afghanistan any time.

Eusebia Cruz and Marisol Ferrer are sisters and will walk up the steps together to receive their degrees. Ferrer, who lives in the Feltonville area of the city, works at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in North Philadelphia. “I realize that in today’s economy and current work environment having a degree will help provide me with the tools for potential growth and career development. I am proud to have accomplished the first steps in my journey to success,” she said.

“Peirce is the college that works for working adults. Throughout our history and as one of Philadelphia’s oldest institutions of higher education, we have sought to achieve a supportive, nurturing environment for working adults, who often come back to school with unique needs, yet with the determination to succeed,” said James J. Mergiotti, Peirce President and Chief Executive Officer. “We make earning a college degree achievable for adult students looking for a school where they’re not just a number but a person with specific career goals.”

About Peirce College

Peirce College offers bachelor’s and associate degree programs in the areas of Business, Healthcare, Information Technology and Paralegal Studies. Located in the heart of Philadelphia, Peirce is a non-profit institution that specializes in serving the unique needs of working adults, many of whom work full time and are raising families. In response to the changing demands of the economy and the prospect for future jobs in the Philadelphia market, Peirce recently introduced degree programs in Human Resource Management and Accounting. Peirce College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104 (phone: 267-284-5000). The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs accredits the College's Business Administration program and the Paralegal Studies program is approved by the American Bar Association.

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