HARRISBURG, PA — Nine students from Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) traveled to the Pennsylvania State Capitol on April 14 to meet with state legislators and advocate for higher education as part of Day on the Hill, the annual student advocacy event hosted by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP).
The event brings students from AICUP’s more than 90 member institutions to Harrisburg each year to meet with state senators, representatives, and their staff: putting real faces and stories behind the data on student aid, college access, and the value of independent higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Harrisburg University’s delegation spent a full day in back-to-back legislative meetings, and it was the students who led the way. Stephanie Mekhail, Denniah Chapman, Joseph DeLaPlaine, Alexander Teeple, Greg Devoney, Bryce Baker, Jade Haller, Aminata Karbo, and Layla Archeval each shared their personal experiences as Harrisburg University students: why they chose HU, what higher education has made possible for them, and why continued state investment matters for students like them and those coming after.
Lorelee Isbell, HU’s Vice President for Strategy and External Relations, said the students were the clear highlight of the day.
“Stephanie, Denniah, Joseph, Alexander, Greg, Bryce, Jade, Aminata, and Layla stepped into this role with confidence and purpose,” Isbell reflected. “You made us all proud.”
“It was such a great day full of experience and learning!” added Denniah Chapman, a first-year Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) student at HU.
Jade Haller, a student in the Information Systems and Information Technology (ISIT) program, noted: “This was such an amazing opportunity, and such an incredible community to be a part of. Thank you, Lorelee, for the ability to represent Harrisburg University. You put in so much time and effort to coordinate this for us. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed.”
Isbell also emphasized the broader stakes behind the visit: “Our country is facing a growing gap between available jobs and qualified talent, and many of those roles require a degree. HU’s mission is to open doors for students who may not otherwise have access to higher education and prepare them for high-demand careers. Continued federal, state, and local investment is essential to making that possible.”
It was clear throughout the day that HU’s access and workforce missions are fully in sync with a number of lawmakers at the Capitol. Senator Patty Kim, representing District 15, says her top priorities are what she calls “the three E’s”: Education, Economic Development, and Economic Empowerment. Representatives from the offices of Senators Culver and Rothman echoed the sentiment and voiced support for HU’s entrepreneurial model of higher education.
In addition to the students, the HU delegation included Dave Schankweiler, Interim President; Luanne Hutchinson, Executive Director of Strategic Healthcare Initiatives; and Professors Dawn Spaar, Angela Britcher, and Elizabeth (“Libba”) Hockley, who accompanied the students throughout the day’s packed schedule of meetings.
The group capped the visit with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Capitol led by Nichole Duffy, AICUP’s Vice President of Government Relations, who also helped coordinate logistics for HU’s participation in the event.
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is a proud member of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania. AICUP represents more than 90 independent, nonprofit colleges and universities in Pennsylvania: institutions that collectively educate more than half of all four-year degree-seeking students in the state and employ or support roughly 200,000 jobs across the Commonwealth.
A 2025 report from AICUP revealed that Harrisburg University has an economic impact of $274.5 million and supports 2,242 jobs in Pennsylvania.
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ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) is an independent, nonprofit university offering degrees in advanced manufacturing, engineering, robotics, nursing, cybersecurity, and other critical fields. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, HU serves a diverse student body through bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs that link learning and research with practical applications. For information about HU’s affordable STEM degrees and professional development programs, call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay in the know by following Harrisburg University on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACT
Do you have questions about this story? Interested in lining up an interview? Please contact Dan Wilhelm, Communications Manager for Harrisburg University, at DWilhelm@HarrisburgU.edu or 717.901.5100×1724.
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