Recognizing the achievements of Peirce College’s Parent University graduates

PROUD: A few of our Parent University graduates attended
the Toss Your Caps event and had their picture taken with
President Mergiotti

2013 will mark a very special Commencement for Peirce College. Not only will 446 students walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, 17 of those graduates will be from our Parent University program.

In 2010, Peirce joined forces with the School District of Philadelphia’s Parent University in an education initiative to increase the number of working adult residents in Philadelphia earning college degrees. Peirce offered 25 parents of children who are enrolled in the Philadelphia School District the opportunity to earn an associate degree in General Studies to help them start their college careers.

These students have completed the three-year program and will have a new advantage to get ahead in their careers or move to a more-fulfilling job path. Seven Parent University graduates plan to go on to get their bachelor’s degree, using their training in General Studies to further pursue their education. This opportunity was the catalyst for them to jumpstart their education, and helped them reinvigorate their passion for lifelong learning.

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Peirce College’s online bachelor’s degree program is named best for veterans by U.S. News

BEST FOR VETERANS: U.S. News names Peirce College's
online bachelor's degree program best for veterans

Peirce College’s support of active military personnel and veterans has helped us land a spot in U.S. News & World Report's Best Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans 2013 Rankings. U.S. News ranked 25 online bachelor’s degree programs according to how they suit veterans’ needs. To make the list, an online bachelor’s degree program had to:

• Belong to an institution certified for the GI Bill.
• Belong to an institution participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
• Belong to an institution that is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium.
• Offer at least one credit-granting course listed in the Defense Activities for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) Catalog of Nationally Accredited Distance Learning Programs.
• Be ranked in U.S. News & World Report's 2013 Best Online Education Programs rankings.

This ranking demonstrates the strong support system we've put in place for veterans at Peirce College. Veterans have a unique set of challenges when returning to civilian life, and we are committed to helping them position themselves for successful careers.

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Announcing our 2013 Peirce Idol

The votes are in! Friends, family, students, colleagues, and peers have all weighed in to choose our 2013 Peirce Idol. Now, we’re happy to announce that our 2013 Peirce Idol is …

Kerri Kirlin!

Kerri is a Business Administration major with a concentration in Professional Studies. For a look back at her winning submission, here's Kerri singing at her audition.



Congratulations Kerri! We look forward to seeing you take the stage at Commencement, and can’t wait to hear your rendition of the national anthem.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year's Peirce Idol festivities. Peirce students never cease to amaze us!

Celebrating Philadelphia’s 2013 graduates at Toss Your Caps

We had another great experience this year at Philadelphia’s fourth annual Toss Your Caps event on the Art Museum steps. On Friday, May 10, graduates representing Peirce College, as well as other area colleges, were invited to the Art Museum to take photos with Mayor Nutter and celebrate earning their college degree.

TOSS YOUR CAPS: Philadelphia graduates celebrate earning their college degrees

The event was created to show Mayor Nutter’s support for Philadelphians’ who earn their college degree and keep the city’s focus on education and degree attainment top of mind. Mayor Nutter also recognized our 17 Parent University graduates, who have overcome incredible obstacles to earn their college degrees and be role models for their children, the community, and all Philadelphians.

We want to thank Mayor Nutter, City of Philadelphia Chief Education Officer Dr. Lori Shorr, and all the educators and students who came out and celebrated with us. For more photos of the event, check out our album on Facebook.

Congratulations to all of Philadelphia’s 2013 graduates!

How 2013 graduates can prepare to land their dream job

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: Join us at our Job Fair on May
31 to meet and greet with area employers

Career Development Services’ upcoming Job Fair will be on May 31, where we’ll be hosting local employers who are looking for interns as well as part-time and full-time employees. If you’re looking for a position for this summer and beyond, this is one of the most important events to prepare for and attend.

Employers that have confirmed attendance include Comcast, Cintas, First Financial Group, and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor. With that roster, this is a great opportunity to network and find out what employers are looking for in new hires. We wanted to offer a few tips to help you prepare for the Job Fair.

• Reach out to Career Development Services. We can help you with personalized one-on-one sessions for interview training, elevator speech prep, and more. We’ll also review your resume with you before the Job Fair, which is very important if you’re looking to hand it out at the event. The earlier you begin your outreach, the more time we’ll have to help you.

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Voting is now open for Peirce Idol 2013!

VOTE NOW: Vote for your favorite to win Peirce Idol 2013!

Who will be our 2013 Peirce Idol? Six fantastic singers auditioned for this year’s Peirce Idol, and now it’s time for you -- students, alumni, fans, family, and friends -- to vote for who will take top honors. The winner of Peirce Idol 2013 will sing the national anthem at this year’s Commencement ceremony on June 10, take home an iPad mini, and have bragging rights -- so your vote matters!

To vote: visit the Peirce College Facebook page and watch all the contestants sing their hearts out during their audition. Then vote for your favorite, and encourage your Facebook friends to do the same.

The deadline to vote is May 19, so be sure to visit the blog and Facebook page on May 20 to find out who this year’s winner is. Your votes will be combined with the Peirce judging panel to select the winner. Good luck to this year’s contestants!

Tweeting for success: How you can use Twitter to boost your career

Almost everyone has heard of Twitter, but not everyone knows how it works and how it can be used professionally. However, Twitter can be among your more effective career development tools. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re interested in strengthening yourself as a professional in your industry or finding a new position.

In fact, Twitter is especially relevant for job seekers, as The Wall Street Journal reports that Twitter is becoming the new job board and the new résumé. It’s more important than ever to know how to use this tool effectively, especially so close to Commencement.

That’s why we’re hosting a free “Tweeting for Career Success” workshop here at the College on May 16 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in rooms 51 and 52. Our featured speaker for the event is Rich Levin, a social media pioneer with over 40,000 followers on social media -- 21,000 of them on Twitter alone. Rich is Senior Vice President at Gregory FCA, the largest public relations firm in the Philadelphia region. In his 27 years as a journalist and media consultant, Rich has helped executives at some of the country’s top companies become more effective communicators. And effective communication is the key to professional success.

During the workshop, Rich will cover how to:

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