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Already on the road to success

As a homeschooled student, John Stone was used to working independently. He mapped out his college plan during his sophomore year of high school and has continued on the path he laid out for himself with the help of his professors and advisers at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.
By: Goldie Van Horn
Penn State Wilkes-Barre student follows plan he set in high school

As a homeschooled student, John Stone was used to working independently. He mapped out his college plan during his sophomore year of high school and has continued on the path he laid out for himself with the help of his professors and advisers at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

Prior to starting college, Stone, who lives in Jenkins Township, had been homeschooled along with his older sister. The Stones’ education included teaching by their mother, participation in a homeschooling cooperative (where groups of families gather together for educational and social activities) and online learning. He graduated in 2021 and began his time at Penn State Wilkes-Barre as an electrical engineering technology major—a decision he had made several years prior to enrolling.

“I knew I wanted to do something in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field and I always liked electricity,” Stone said. “The EET program was a big draw for me. It seemed like a great option with a lot of opportunities in the area and income potential.”

He had begun dual enrollment classes at Luzerne County Community College (LCCC) while still a sophomore in high school, which allowed him to start college with 31 credits.

“I knew I wanted to commute to Penn State Wilkes-Barre to save money and that I could earn my bachelor’s degree there,” Stone said. “My last two years of high school, I almost exclusively took classes at LCCC for dual enrollment where I chose my classes based on what I would need for an EET degree.”

Stone took general education courses, pre-calculus, calculus and physics at LCCC. Combining that with a high credit load (23 credits this semester and no fewer than 18 credits each semester), he will graduate from Penn State Wilkes-Barre this month—just two and a half years after he started.

“I was already used to a lot of the independence and maintaining my own schedule from homeschooling,” Stone said. “Dual enrollment opened a lot of doors for me and helped me prepare for college before I went. That made it an easier transition from high school to college, and financially, it saved me money.”

“I had been in touch with campus faculty since my sophomore year of high school, since I had to outline my plan for the next four and a half years,” he continued. “I got to know a lot of the faculty and we still talk when I see them around campus. They have seen my development from high school and they ask me how things are going. I can tell they genuinely care and that’s really nice.”

Stone has worked closely with Tim Sichler, associate teaching professor of electrical engineering technology and program coordinator, and said he likes Sichler’s teaching style that allows students to experiment and learn on their own, while providing guidance when necessary. He has also appreciated the close relationships he has been able to build at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

“I love our atmosphere on the campus. It’s got a really nice, homey, small campus feel,” he said. “I’ve been able to make a lot of connections and get to know people who are involved in the campus. Every building I go into, I see people I know and people I can talk to.”

He is a member of the 4 Seasons Club and attends all their events, including a fall bonfire and a spring camping trip that includes whitewater rafting and paintball games. He is also a member of the Academic Integrity Committee for the campus.

Stone secured an internship at Multi-Dimensional Integration (MDI), based near Allentown, through a reference from Sichler. Stone has already received a job offer from the company and will start full time in January as a controls engineer. He also completed an internship in process engineering last summer at Schott Glass in Duryea.

“I feel like I’m in a really good position for my age. I’m 20 and I’ll have a bachelor’s degree,” he said. “MDI is a good company and I can travel and see the world through working for them. I would like to stay with the company for as long as I can.”