DALLAS, Pa. — Penn State Wilkes-Barre held a weekend of celebration events for this year’s graduates, including a commencement ceremony and an outdoor party.
On May 5, the campus held its first “Forever Penn Staters” graduate celebration on the patio of Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s historic Hayfield House. The event featured food stations, yard games, music and the creation of a living yearbook for students to personalize with guidance from Anna Malsky, a local artist and owner of ANNAMALY art collective. Bryan Winters was selected as the winner of a random $1,000 drawing sponsored by Cross Valley Federal Credit Union.
“Forever Penn Staters” was attended by notable alumni Richard “Rick” Barry, class of 1980, this year’s commencement speaker, who is a philanthropist and investment management manager and former partner and advisory board member of the San Diego Padres, and his longtime friend, Penn State play-by-play announcer Steve Jones. Jones has been the voice of Penn State football games since 2000 and basketball games since 1982. Both Barry and Jones got their starts at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, completing two years at the campus before transitioning to University Park to finish their degrees.