Growing Stronger: York College Graduate and Professional Programs Grow with Community Need to Build Skills
Thaís Carrero MPPA ’21 changes communities. She sits across the table from legislators, picks up the phone to advocate for reform, and writes policies that impact people all around her. Carrero has always been a strong supporter of others, but she points to her education at York College of Pennsylvania as the formal training she needed to bring her advocacy full circle.
Carrero was working at CASA, an advocacy organization for immigrant and working-class families in downtown York. She was doing what she called “freestyle” policy work, drawing on her 2015 Communications degree from the University of the Sacred Heart in Puerto Rico.
“I wanted to get an education that would help me propel my career even more,” she says.
In 2020, she enrolled in the Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) program at York College. Here, Carrero found a way to apply her knowledge of the community and her people-centered approach to her job to her coursework. She already knew a great deal about what was needed locally: better education, welcoming infrastructure, and access to quality healthcare. Through the MPPA program, she learned the intricacies of creating policy to help achieve those goals.
Implementing Change
Carrero now serves as Director of External Affairs for the National Partnership for New Americans, advocating for immigrant inclusion across the country. While she analyzes data and develops strategies for policy change, she also performs stakeholder analyses and communicates with congressional offices.
“We have to build support for the policy changes we hope to see,” she says. “I’m often going back to the things I learned at York College and thinking about how I can put them into practice.”
Though Carrero already worked in the field of policymaking, her MPPA degree has given her new tools and strategies. It bolstered her career so she could have a greater impact, not just in her community but throughout the country. It has enhanced her mission to always serve those around her, especially immigrants who often face greater obstacles to re-establish their lives and build a promising future for their families.
York College allowed Carrero to put into practice much of what she was learning in class. She worked on policy that allows in-state tuition rates for immigrant college students and introduced it in the Pennsylvania legislature. That practice aided her in her role at CASA and built a movement around establishing opportunities for immigrants in Pennsylvania.
Though she has moved to North Carolina, Carrero sees the impact she was able to make in York. She often comes back to visit family with her husband and their infant daughter, and is proud of the community she called home.
“Public policy tries to make our communities better,” she says. “York College gave me an opportunity to learn new strategies, to stretch myself. That practice will make anyone successful.”
A Strategy for Listening
Carrero is one of many adults who hold undergraduate degrees but see an opportunity to grow through a graduate or professional program. Addressing these desires is an important part of York College’s mission, says Josh DeSantis, Ed.D., Assistant Provost of Graduate and Professional Programs.
“York College possesses a history of helping students ‘ladder up in life,’” he says.
“Decades ago, we were a junior college and only offered associate degrees. We saw that professional careers required a bachelor’s-level education, so we adapted. Our investment in graduate and professional learning is similar. Many careers now require a graduate degree or specialized professional training. We’re going to respond to those needs, just as we always have, with high-quality programs tailored to meet the needs of the communities we serve.”
The College continues to seek input from employers, organizations, and prospective learners. These efforts yielded new professional learning programs, including graduate degrees in Applied Behavior Analysis, Public Policy and Administration, and Strategic Leadership Leadership and Management.
These new programs build off of strong existing programs in School Leadership, Business Administration, Nursing, Accounting, Reading, and more. The College is also making investments in more focused certificates like the new Family Nurse Practitioner program as well as an array of professional certificates through the new online York College Career Academy.
The through line connecting all of the programs, Dr. DeSantis says, is to provide focused and practical opportunities to help students advance in their careers.
“We know we have to dial into specific professions by teaching things on a Tuesday night that people can put into practice on a Wednesday morning,” he says.
From one classroom to another
Jasmine Sariano MEd ’22 is in her eighth year as an emotional support teacher for kindergarten through second grade students. She received her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education from Lebanon Valley College in 2017 but found herself wanting more skills to bring to her York City School District classroom.
She enrolled in the master’s-level Diversity and Student Resilience program at York College, which she completed in 2022, and is now wrapping up work for another York College graduate program, a master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. With both experiences, she wanted to learn skills she could use right away as a teacher.
“Both programs appealed to me in many ways, and they contained the evidence-based practices I knew could make a difference,” she says. “The ripple effect of my experience is already taking place.”
The Diversity and Student Resilience program was one of the first in the state to be awarded the Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness Endorsement by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Through the program, Sariano saw a chance to broaden her understanding of situational cultural resilience and perseverance.
For Sariano’s Applied Behavior Analysis studies, her supervisor, Dr. Molly Milam, who is also the program director, observed her classroom and provided support she’d never had before, in addition to helping train the classroom staff.
“I saw the impact of that right away,” Sariano says. “I got support in ways I never imagined, and for taking almost all of my classes online, it felt very personal. I was so connected to others in the program.”
John Gaeta ’18/MEd ’24, a York Suburban School District teacher, graduated from York College after trying out a few possible career paths and finally settling on Secondary Education. Returning to his alma mater to earn a master’s degree in Educational Leadership required commitment. He was a new father, and juggling the responsibilities of a full-time career and taking courses.
Gaeta was worried at first that it would be an overwhelming adjustment to be back in college. However, he says, he found a greater appreciation for the knowledge he gained in the classroom. He enjoyed hearing from people in a variety of educational positions, including a financial administrator from Dallastown Area School District, about how they work closely with their leadership.
He also had the chance to complete an administrative internship with his school principal, during which he helped to create a budget. The program’s flexible schedule ensured that he could maintain balance in his life and studies.
Since finishing the program in the spring, Gaeta has found exciting opportunities to take on new responsibilities, with a goal of eventually serving in an administrative role. He is vice president of his teacher’s union local affiliate, practicing skills he learned at York College as he leads members and represents their needs.
“I feel like you spend the first 10 years of your career cutting your teeth,” Gaeta says. “I’m only six years in, but I’m grateful that I’ve learned so much already.”
In Command of Her Career
Kerry Johnson has two courses to go before she earns her MBA at York College, and the timing of the program could not be better. While she considered getting her master’s degree 10 or even 20 years ago, she says there were too many other priorities in her life to add higher education into the mix sooner.
Johnson is a PMP-certified project manager in the Innovations department of a dietary supplement manufacturing company. She was used to putting her 1994 undergraduate degree in Biology from Towson University to use in her product research and development. Still, she always felt like her business skill set was an area where she needed more focus.
“My real hope was to validate the on-the-job business experience I already had and broaden that with a formal degree process,” she says.
She started her MBA journey at a unique time— when her two daughters also were in college. Her elder daughter, Piper, attended York College as an undergraduate majoring in Recreational Leadership.
While her courses have all been online, she’s been able to get a feel for campus life in other ways. She’s enhanced her experience by serving on the Graduate and Professional Studies Board, attending a press conference for the PA Auditor General, and participating in a graduate student meet and greet. She also engages in several on-campus entertainment events. Next year, she anticipates traveling abroad with the Graham School of Business Graduate Studies program.
Johnson says that after 22 years, she doesn’t see herself moving out of her project management role but looks forward to a more robust career. Her MBA courses have significantly enhanced her understanding of the multiple departments she interacts with regularly in her projects. She feels her work conversations are much more effective.
“There’s always room for growth in every person, in every position,” Johnson says. “I’m glad I had gained business experience in the workforce prior to starting a formal MBA program. I see it as bringing my business skills up to current practices.”
York College also allowed Johnson to have a great deal of flexibility in earning her MBA. She looked at several master’s program opportunities and found that most require an 18-month completion track. She initially started the program part-time, taking just one course a semester, as she needed her graduate courses to fit with her lifestyle. She also found scholarship opportunities at York College, to help her complete courses at a faster pace and made managing three college tuitions in her household a lot easier to handle.
“It’s been a very positive experience for me,” she says. “I’ve met so many people in different lines of business, in different roles, and I see each interaction as a learning opportunity.”
More Offerings on the Way
While graduate degrees are nothing new at York College, strategically growing educational opportunities for professional learners is an increasingly important institutional priority. York College will continue to deliver to traditional bachelor’s degree seekers while also serving professional learners with established careers.
Whether someone is looking for a professional certificate to earn a higher wage or earning their bachelor’s degree after being unable to do so earlier in life, Dr. DeSantis envisions the College offering more flexibility in serving nontraditional students.
The College will also roll out more certificate opportunities this fall through a new initiative called York College Career Academy. The Career Academy includes more than 40 professional certificates, completed online and at a student’s own pace. These certificates offer practical training for specific skills, such as project management, logistics, and bookkeeping. Many are delivered in partnership with Google, IBM, Amazon, Meta, and more.
The York College Career Academy is a tangible component of College President Dr. Thomas Burns’ vision for the future.
According to Dr. Burns, “York College is dedicated to preparing our students and community for the future of the workforce. The Career Academy provides access to industry-recognized credentials in high-demand fields, equipping learners with the tools to succeed and thrive in an ever-changing workforce.”
Because of the College’s investment in the Career Academy, the certificate programs are available at half the cost they would normally be if someone tried to obtain them on their own. They will also be included in the curriculum of current students, with one class already using it this fall and 10 to 15 more incorporating certificates by Spring 2025.
“This growth is part of a strategic investment we are making for our community,” Dr. DeSantis says. “The College is always looking ahead to what our students and the businesses, schools, hospitals, and organizations we serve will need to be successful.”
Making Education Accessible
York College has made strategic adjustments to its graduate and professional certificate programs to put career-advancing education within easier reach. Today, students can expect to find:
Fully Online Graduate and Certificate Programs
Available opportunities include two doctoral programs, 16 master’s programs, and 16 professional certificate programs.
Fee-Free Programs
Most students have little or no out-of-pocket expenses.
Tuition Discounts for Alumni & Eligible Partner Organizations
The College is always looking for partners to join its endeavor.
Career-Related Specializations
Graduate and professional programs at York College offer an education tailored to areas of specialization specific to students' careers.
