Congratulations to CCO staff member Dave McGeary! In April, he was awarded the first-ever Advisor of the Year Award from Penn State New Kensington.
“The unique part about this award is that it is chosen based on student nominations,” wrote Dan Amerman, Assistant to the Director of Student Affairs, in the email that informed Dave of this honor. “My congratulations go out to you as this year’s recipient of the Advisor of the Year Award. We look forward to congratulating you in person for your contributions to student life at PSNK.”
Dave has worked with students on this largely commuter campus since 2004, as advisor of the GIG (Group Investigating God) Club and as a constant resource for students. GIG is the single most active club on campus, and besides participating in those weekly meetings, Dave leads an on-campus Bible study, attends various student-sponsored activities on campus, and spends a lot of one-on-one time with individual students.
While Dave does not know who nominated him for the Advisor of the Year Award, he suspects that students recognize that he cares about them, and that’s what prompted the nomination. “I think that if the CCO wasn’t committed to having someone here, doing what I’m doing, there would be a significant void,” Dave says. “It suggests that I have a purpose and am filling a need here. I’m grateful for the opportunity to invest in the lives of students and in the life of the Penn State New Kensington community at large.”