Graduates head to police academy, graduate school

Among the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s Class of 2025 are the first energy engineering technology major to graduate and a criminal justice graduate who is headed to the Pennsylvania State Police Academy.

Mychal Berlinski of Allegany, N.Y., is the university’s first energy engineering technology major to graduate. He will be working in quality engineering at Napoleon Engineering Services in Olean, N.Y., with a focus on measurement and artificial intelligence implementation.

Blake Pretash, a criminal justice major from Philipsburg, is the first Pitt-Bradford graduate to successfully complete testing, background investigation and secure a Pennsylvania State Police Academy date while still an active student. Pretash will start his training at the academy in Harrisburg this month.

On Sunday, 183 students from 11 states and South Korea will graduate at 2 p.m. in the KOA Arena. The Commencement ceremony will be streamed live at www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/commencement and Pitt-Bradford’s YouTube channel.

Other members of the Class of 2025 are headed to the workforce or graduate schools that include Syracuse University, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Rochester, N.Y.

Kamrin Simms, a nursing major from New Castle, Del., will work as a nurse with Christiana Care in Newark, Del., as a registered nurse graduate fellow.

Alexia Catalone, an international affairs major from Weedville, has been accepted into a dual-degree program to simultaneously earn a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Arts in International Relations at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, which is ranked No. 1 for public affairs in 2024-25 by U.S. News & World Report.

Two biology graduates will enter the world of nursing by attending graduate school.

Morgan Lorenzo of Emporium will attend Pitt’s School of Nursing to become a nurse practitioner. Madison Miller of Erie, who also majored in forensic science, is entering a Master of Nursing program at the University of Rochester.

Hospitality management major Bailey Fedak of Bradford will pursue a Master of Management at the Katz School of Business at Pitt.

Nearly 16% of graduates this year majored in biology. Several graduates will be entering the world of health sciences.

Emily Filosa of Williamstown will begin working as a lab assistant with Geisinger Health in her hometown.

Carley LaFever of Portville, N.Y., will be teaching biology in the Olean (N.Y.) School District.

Hannah Westover of Plum is headed to Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, where she will complete a Master of Medical Science before entering the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program.

Chemistry and physical sciences major Brooke McClain of Bradford also will attend LECOM in the pharmacy school.

Others attending graduate school include     Sara Ciavardini, a chemistry and forensic science major from Sayre, who will continue her studies by pursuing a master’s degree in forensic chemistry at Cedar Crest College in Allentown.

Thirteen percent of the graduating class majored in exercise science, and more than a dozen of those graduates will be furthering their education. Four will pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy: Brandon Amidon-Crawford of Syracuse at Gannon University in Erie, Isabella Anderson of Richland at D’Youville University in Buffalo, Mitchell Burke of Sugar Run at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, and Janey Schmidt of Angola, N.Y., at Daemen University in Amherst, N.Y.

Lauren Baldwin of Bradford will attend Northeast College of Health Sciences in Seneca Falls, N.Y., to earn a Doctor of Chiropractic.

Four graduates will begin the Master of Occupational Therapy program at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, N.Y.: Logan Christie of Smethport, Meghan Kapp of Erie, Emma King of Johnsonburg and Hannah Tubbs of Coudersport.

Ava Belec of Cuba, N.Y., will attend D’Youville to pursue a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics; Aden Hafer of Hanover will work toward a Master of Exercise Science at PennWest California; and Nicholas Whippo of Duke Center will begin a Master of Athletic Training at Neumann University in Aston Township. Finally, Kayelyn Eschrich of Bradford will study for a master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology at Lebanon.

Breanna Bernhard, a psychology major from Lewis Run, will pursue a master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics at Marywood University.

Another popular major in the Class of 2025 is business management, which is the major of 11% of this year’s graduates. Those students will head both into the world of work and graduate school.
Brandt Kightlinger, a business management major from Coudersport, will work at Damascus Insurance in his hometown.

Alex Pasternak, a business management major from DuBois, will work in commercial lending at Mid Penn Bank in DuBois.

Asher White, an accounting major from Cattaraugus, N.Y., will work toward a Master of Business Administration in accounting at St. Bonaventure, where Thomas Defilippi, an accounting major from St. Marys will also enter the MBA program.

Finally, Broderick Kamuda, an accounting and business management major from Hamburg, N.Y., will continue his education with a master’s degree in accounting at the State University of New York at Buffalo.