Jonathan Kelly received an Outstanding Adult Learner Award presented by the Luzerne County Council on Adult Higher Education (LCCAHE).
DALLAS, Pa. — Jonathan Kelly, a fourth-year student at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, was honored during an awards ceremony for adult learners held on April 29.
The 36th annual Outstanding Adult Learner Award Reception was held at Luzerne County Community College, presented by the Luzerne County Council on Adult Higher Education (LCCAHE). LCCAHE is a consortium of Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Misericordia University, King's College, Luzerne County Community College and Wilkes University. Each year, LCCAHE, the longest standing collaboration between Luzerne County colleges and universities, sponsors the awards ceremony to recognize the contributions and achievements of an outstanding adult learner at each institution.
“I’m very humbled to receive this award. It’s positive reinforcement and confirmation I’m on the right path,” said Kelly, a rehabilitation and human services major who lives in Benton. “It shows that what I’m doing is paying off and I’m seeing my hard work come to fruition.”
Kelly is a second-time Penn State Wilkes-Barre student, having earned his first degree in business in 2012. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Kelly was deployed three times as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom before injuries ended his military career at the rank of E-4 corporal.
“I struggled with returning to civilian life. It left a lot of us who returned scrambling to figure out our purpose and our sense of direction,” he said. “I thought it was best to get right into a college program and try to move forward. I knew I wanted to work with disabled veterans like myself and the RHS degree was the best avenue to do that.”
Kelly said he has a five-year plan and a 10-year plan. In five years, he hopes to work at a VA hospital in vocational rehabilitation, occupational therapy or substance abuse counseling. In 10 years, he wants to start his own nonprofit organization “by veterans, for veterans” with a program that would offer rescue animals and assistance for veterans needing mental health, substance abuse and therapy assistance.
He completed an internship with Volunteers of America’s Give Hope outreach program, supporting members of the community who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness and housing instability. He also works with Volunteers of America as a transportation coordinator, assisting clients in attending health and other appointments.
Kelly was nominated for the Outstanding Adult Learner Award by Melisa Littleton, program coordinator and assistant teaching professor of rehabilitation and human services, and Jacqueline Warnick-Piatt, alumni relations and stewardship officer.
“Jon made the choice to use his experiences as motivation to find a new purpose in life and give back to the community by becoming a helping professional,” Littleton wrote. “With his leadership experience, diverse educational background, dedication and perseverance, Jon will go on to make positive changes within the systems that serve our veterans.”
Warnick-Piatt wrote, “I have known Jon since he first attended Penn State Wilkes-Barre in 2009. He was always willing to lend a hand to his fellow students, whether that be in the classroom, in the cafeteria or on the court. He was also an active participant in our Veterans Day memorial and dedication program honoring Penn State Wilkes-Barre alumnus and fallen soldier Daniel S. Walko. I know that Jon will do amazing things in this field with and for his fellow military servicemen and women.”
Kelly said he plans to begin a master’s program for clinical rehabilitation counseling at the University of Scranton in the fall.
Award recipients from other institutions were Amy Depa, Luzerne County Community College; Shawn Nenichka, Misericordia University; Sister Sang Nguyen, King’s College; and Jesse Simon, Wilkes University.
