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All good things in time.
That seems to sum up Matt Ruth's college career at Penn State York.
After five years and half a semester, Ruth graduated at the top of the associate's degree field Friday with a degree in mechanical engineering.
"This is a reward for all the hard work I've done," he said.
Ruth, of Springettsbury Township, began his college education soon after graduating from Dallastown Area High School in 1997.
But halfway through his first semester, he dropped out. He wanted to work and make some money so he could have a social life.
"I just wasn't ready for school," Ruth said.
In 2003, reality struck Ruth as he worked the third shift at Harley-Davidson. He knew he had to go back to school to finish what
Harley said it would pick up the tuition bill if Ruth could keep a C+ average.
Not a problem.
He earned all A's, maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average.
Ruth said one of the main reasons he went back to school was the dwindling manufacturing jobs in the country.
"It's always good to have a backup plan," he said. "I wanted to do something that kept my mind going."
Graduating is just the start of a long week for Ruth. In a few days, he's heading to the Bahamas, where he will marry his fiancé, Laura Watts.
Ruth said he'd like to go on and earn a bachelor's degree in engineering.
As Melinda Krebs, a teacher at Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12, walked across the stage to receive her master's of education degree, she was retracing the exact steps her son had walked just a short time ago.
Her son, Alexander Krebs, received an associate's degree in electrical engineering during the same ceremony.
"It just worked out that way," Melinda Krebs of Springettsbury Township said. "It is just really nice to do that."
COMMENCEMENT
Penn State York handed out 125 degrees during its spring commencement Friday night, and 126 students were recognized for transferring to different Penn State locations to complete their coursework.
Thomas Wolf, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, gave the commencement address and spoke on what it means to be a citizen in society and in the United States.
PENN STATE YORK GRADS FROM YORK COUNTY AREA
Associate's degrees: Noah Althoff, York, information sciences and technology; Troy Bonitz, New Freedom, business administration; Susana Bruno, York, business administration; David Calhoun, Hanover, electrical engineering technology; Tyler Croak, York, information sciences and technology; Duane Gardner, York, information sciences and technology; Barbara Gorski, Stewartstown, letters, arts and sciences; April Green, York, mechanical engineering technology; Kimberley Hanssen, Red Lion, business administration; Frances Hopple, York, information sciences and technology; Andrew Ibaugh, Felton, letters, arts and sciences; Stephen Klein, Seven Valleys, electrical engineering technology; Alexander Krebs, York, electrical engineering technology; Morris Layton III, York, business administration; David Montez, York, information sciences and technology; Michael Rhodes, Dover, mechanical engineering technology; Cary Rohler, Red Lion, mechanical engineering technology; Matthew Ruth, York, mechanical engineering technology; Shaun Shaull, Hallam, business administration; Kylee Spangler, York, letters, arts and sciences; Kristine Stremmel, York, information sciences and technology; Gary Swope, New Freedom, mechanical engineering technology; Dana Szczepanski, Crossroads, business administration; Anna Velez, York, business administration; and David Wilson, Jacobus, mechanical engineering technology.
Bachelor's degrees: Robert Albright III, Red Lion, business; Brent Berger, Hanover, information sciences and technology; Gregory Books, Dillsburg, business; Allen Bowman, Airville, science; Julie Cassel, York, communication arts and sciences; Ophelia Chambliss, York, communication arts and sciences; Daniel Chronister, York, English; Jenifer Diver, New Freedom, electro-mechanical engineering technology; Lindsey Dumas, New Freedom, business; Erika Engle, New Freedom, business; Justin Enoff, Spring Grove, business; Alexandra Fedor, York, English; Rebekah Godlewski, Etters, business; Bryan Group Jr., Lewisberry, electro-mechanical engineering technology; Ronnie Hess, York, information sciences and technology; Daniel Hevner, York, business; Amber Hinkle, York, business; Siobahn Hyser, York, communication arts and sciences; George Kapterian, York, letters, arts and sciences; Jason Kozlowski, Glen Rock, American studies; Esmira Krdzic, McSherrystown, business; Ann Krepps, York, human development and family studies; Leah Kyle, Windsor, business; Caroline Lee, York, science; Heather Livering, Shrewsbury, communication arts and sciences; Cory Martin, Loganville, electro-mechanical engineering technology; Ranna McNeil, York, science; Alexis Montgomery, York, communication arts and sciences; William Montgomery, New Park, electro-mechanical engineering technology; Jedidiah Moyer, Emigsville, business; Barry Muser, Hanover, human development and family studies; Michael Nardo, Red Lion, business; Amanda Niebuhr, Jacobus, electro-mechanical engineering technology; Suzanne Noel, York, human development and family studies; Peter Noll IV, New Freedom, English; Mary Phillips, Stewartstown, English; Stepheni Reams, Hanover, business; Andrea Ruff, Dallastown, business; John Simmons Jr., Glen Rock, English; Brad Sizemore, Airville, human development and family studies; Christian Sprenkle, York, information sciences and technology; James Stanfield, Etters, business; Kenneth Strickhouser Jr., Dover, business; Adam Swartz, York, science; and Brittany Thompson, Dallastown, business.
Master's of education in teaching and curriculum degrees: Elizabeth Barton, York; Jenna Bollinger, McSherrystown; John Brown, York; Laura Buffington, York; Kimberly Carroll, York; Jason Cole, Spring Grove; Pamela Cross, York; Robert Dockey Jr., New Oxford; Kimberly Ernst, Hanover; Darice France, York; Leslie Gentzyel, York; Amy Gutshall, Abbottstown; Andrea Halter, Hanover; Barbara Hoffman, Dover; Lori Hollick, Manchester; Melinda Krebs, York; Laura Livingston, Dover; Jessica Locke, York; Lesley McCune, Wrightsville; Seth McLane, York; Amanda Myers, East Berlin; Nicole Nace, Spring Grove; Cecilia Nunez, York; Alicia Overmiller, York; Maria Pender, Red Lion; Stacey Schneck, York; Jamie Sinkovitz, York; Jennifer Sleeth, Wrightsville; Adam Titter, York; and James Williams, York.
The following students completed their bachelor's degrees at other Penn State campuses but returned to Penn State York to receive degrees: Stephen Ducharme II, Jacobus, finance; Joshua Leiphart, Glen Rock, mechanical engineering; and Christina Swomley, York, psychology.
The following students are transferring to other Penn State campuses to continue undergraduate studies: Sean Anderson, York, hotel, restaurant and institutional management; Rachel Andrewlavage, Stewartstown, psychology; Jarad Angel, Manchester, Behrend College; Matthew Appleby, York, earth and mineral sciences; Bryce Baker, York, elementary education; Nichole Beard, Red Lion, communications; Joseph Bechtel, Glenville, mechanical engineering; Geoffrey Bennett, York, engineering science; Danielle Blasser, York, journalism; Allen Bowman, Airville, biotechnology; Lindsay Bruggeman, Dallastown, psychology; Cody Caldwell, Manchester, media studies; Michael Caltagirone, Dallastown, economics; Maryan Captan, Dover, English; Juli Carey, New Freedom, marketing; Megan Collins, Dallastown, computer science; Ryan Cook, Hanover, hotel, restaurant and institutional management; Andrew Coster, Delta, structural design and construction engineering technology; Brent Crawford, York, political science; Brent Crook, York, civil engineering; Alyssa Cupp, Dover, arts and architecture; Evan Curtis, Stewartstown, archaeological science; Justina Cutler, York, kinesiology; Samuel Dayhoff III, Seven Valleys, criminal justice; Michael Demsey, Dillsburg, management; Bryant Dettinger, Jacobus, Capital College; Joshua Dubs, York, engineering; Benjamin Duffey, York, English; Kyle Eveler, Windsor, Capital College; Rhoi Fajardo, Dover, aerospace engineering; Amanda Fenstermacher, Dover, nursing; Megan Fisher, Wrightsville, science; Sarai Flores, York, biobehavioral health; Marla Garrett, York, finance; Keith Gayman, Windsor, civil engineering; Benjamin Glotfelty, New Freedom, marketing; Jamie Golden, Red Lion, science; Kenneth Gordon, York, English; Alexander Gragg, York, kinesiology; Nathan Hall, Mount Wolf, agribusiness management; Jonathan Harris, Shrewsbury, psychology; Heidi Hartman, Hanover, nursing; Kimberly Hartson, Hanover, wildlife and fisheries science; Brian Helm, Spring Grove, energy, business and finance; Hannah Hileman, Thomasville, agriculture; Shaun Hoffman, Hanover, economics; Abigail Hofstrand, Stewartstown, nursing; Joshua Huff, Red Lion, media studies; Danielle Ingle, Hanover, accounting; Edward Jenkins III, Spring Grove, science; Caleb Johnson, York, archaeological science; Collin Julius, East Berlin, mechanical engineering; Marc Kapp, Etters, Division of Undergraduate Studies; Ashleigh Kessler, Felton, psychology; Lauren King, York, health and human development; Joshua Kloker, York, history; Savanah Kunz, York, economics; Staci Kyle, York, health and human development; Bradley Landis, Dallastown, electrical engineering; Brent Landis, Dallastown, kinesiology; Jamie Lau, Wrightsville, agriculture; Valerie Le, York, business administration; W.T. Lobb, Spring Grove, mechanical engineering technology; Steven Lucas, Stewartstown, crime, law and justice; John Makrias, York, sociology; Amanda McCardle, York, communication arts and sciences; Andrew McClain, Stewartstown, agriculture; Zachary McCrary, Dover, English; Jordan Mears, York, letters, arts and sciences; John Mehring, York, civil engineering; Sarah Merrill, York, nursing; Jacquelyn Miliziano, York, marketing; Jason Mitzel, Felton, electrical engineering; Joe Munchel, York, engineering; Sarah Musso, York, human development and family studies; Christopher Myers, Spring Grove, finance; Danielle Myers, Spring Grove, Capital College; Jessica Nace, Spring Grove, English; Marcos Nieves, York, communication arts and sciences; Jared Osswald, Lewisberry, engineering; Diane Pantano, York, kinesiology; John Peithman, York, accounting; Rachel Pellissier, Shrewsbury, hotel, restaurant and institutional management; Adam Polash, Stewartstown, agribusiness management; Sean Posey, Red Lion, structural design and construction engineering technology; Bradford Price, Seven Valleys, aerospace engineering; Michael Pritchard, York, political science; Kendra Reem, Spring Grove, elementary education; Mark Rhodes Jr., New Freedom, structural design and construction engineering technology; Michael Rhodes, Dover, mechanical engineering technology; Charles Richards, Dallastown, accounting; Cary Rohler, Red Lion, mechanical engineering technology; Christopher Rumple, Etters, engineering; Mark Ryan, York, economics; Joshua Sechrist, Mount Wolf, engineering; Stephanie Semrau, York, engineering science; Antoinette Snyder, York, psychology; Nathanael Stanford, York, accounting; Troy Staub, Hanover, accounting; Brittany Stone, York, hotel, restaurant and institutional management; Troy Stram, Spring Grove, liberal arts; Matthew Suenkonis, York, finance; Brandon Sullivan, York, management information systems; Autumn Sutton, Stewartstown, nursing; Aimee Thompson, York, nursing; Samuel Tietjen, York, finance; Daniel Tyson, Dallastown, telecommunications; Darren Van Houwe, York, computer science; Matthew Wagner, Manchester, telecommunications; James Weyand, Airville, mechanical engineering; John Will, York, science; and Kaitlin Zimmerman, East Berlin, hotel, restaurant and institutional management.
