Penn State York is celebrating its 14th annual fall commencement at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center at the campus.
Jonathan Spanos is the commencement speaker. Spanos is an accomplished homeland security public safety information technology director with more than 25 years of extensive organizational change and development involvement supporting enterprise LAN, WAN, MPLS, wireless networks and all-hazard preparedness on both the domestic and international levels.
He is an active member of the Penn State York Advisory Board and recently endowed the J. Spanos Family Trustee Scholarship, in honor of his parents, James and Angie Spanos, as well as sisters, Stacie and Katie, both graduates of Penn State. The J. Spanos Family Trustee Scholarship will provide support for the best and brightest students to attend Penn State York and participate in the honors program. Spanos is also proudly following in his parents’ footsteps as the owner of The Paddock on Market, a restaurant in York.
He began his Penn State education at the York campus and credits his parents for encouraging him to attend the local campus. Spanos has a special connection to the campus and acknowledges the faculty and staff for providing him with a positive start to his college career. He went on to the University Park campus to complete his degree but never forgot the campus that invested in him.Spanos earned a doctorate in organizational change development from Penn State in 2001. He also holds a master of education in school administration degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (1994) and a bachelor of science in education degree from Penn State (1993).
For those who cannot attend the event, Penn State York’s commencement can be viewed on Comcast cable Channel 18 or streaming live on the campus website.
In addition to hearing from Spanos, Penn State York will continue its open microphone tradition when graduates can speak to the audience for a moment. The top associate, baccalaureate and master’s degree graduates will also say a few words. A number of former Penn State York students who completed their degree work at another campus of Penn State will return to the campus to receive their degrees during the ceremony.The campus will award associate, baccalaureate and master's degrees during the program. The ceremony is free and open to the public.