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Alumni Spotlight
Jesse Somers
Jesse Somers, 37, of Latrobe, PA, attended Westmoreland County Community College from 2006-2010 and is our featured alumnus.
So what made Somers want to attend Westmoreland after high school?
“After high school graduation, I did not know exactly what I wanted to do. I came
to Westmoreland just trying to get a feel for what interested me. The advisors/counselors
I met with were able to give me a generic schedule with courses that fit into several
different majors. I was working full-time and just continued to take random courses
here and there. Before I knew it, I was on track to earn an associate degree in Liberal
Arts,” explains Somers.
While at the college, Somers earned an associate degree in Liberal Arts and most of his general elective courses were Psychology courses. After graduating, Somers visited PennWest California in the summer of 2010, where they were able to accept all 63 credits he completed at Westmoreland into their BA Psychology degree. Furthermore, he was able to continue at Westmoreland in the Fall of 2010 where he took another 12 credits. He transferred in 75 credits, which led him to complete his Bachelor's degree in 3 semesters. He then went on for his M.Ed in School Counseling at PennWest and graduated in 2014.
When looking back at his college days, his fondest memories were the staff.
“I have never encountered a more welcoming and helping environment anywhere else. Being a first-generation college student in my family, I really didn’t know what I was doing and I often asked a ton of questions from academics, financial aid, and ordering textbooks. I think the culture still holds true to this day,” states Somers.
Did Somers have a favorite instructor?
“I have had so many great instructors here at Westmoreland County Community College. I took a lot of evening courses at the Latrobe campus and Youngwood campus. Oftentimes, I would have adjunct instructors who taught at other local four- year schools. This always reinforced my thoughts on gaining a solid education,” explains Somers.
Now that he has graduated from Westmoreland, what is he up to now?
Somers states, “After graduating with my masters degree in 2014, I worked at Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center as a career pathways coordinator and teaching assistant. I then became a Licensed Professional Counselor in 2018 and worked for an agency as a school-based therapist.”
“In the summer of 2019, I applied to Westmoreland County Community College and was hired as a counselor at the Latrobe Education Center. I continued working part-time at Westmoreland and doing school based therapy from 2019 until 2022. In the summer of 2022, I got hired full-time at Westmoreland as a TRIO Counselor. I also work part-time as a counselor/therapist at Innersight.”
Westmoreland prepared Somers for his current career by laying the foundation for him to enter a career in counseling. His education in psychology started at Westmoreland and he had great instructors that inspired him early on to achieve his goal.
Somers wouldn’t be where he is today without the ones who helped him out in his academic journey.
Jimmy Pirlo made a lasting impression during his admissions process at Westmoreland. Art Colagrande’s help in advising and counseling him early on in his endeavors has helped him in his endeavor. To this day, Art continues to be a close friend today. Dr. John Massella’s counseling and supervising at PennWest developed into a great friendship, as well. There have been so many that have helped him achieve his goals and even believed in him when he would doubt himself.
In his spare time, Somers likes fishing, classic cars, being outdoors and tinkering on anything and everything.
His advice to current college students?
“Have patience and enjoy the process. Accept the challenge and take in everything that you are facing,” says Somers.
Justin “JT” Guy, 21, of Pittsburgh, attended Westmoreland County Community College from 2022-2024 and is our featured alumnus.
So what made Guy decide to attend Westmoreland after high school?
“With coming to Westmoreland County Community College, I had one goal in mind and that was to become the first one in my family to graduate college. I wanted to break a generational curse in my family of not graduating/finishing college,” says Guy. “Westmoreland allowed me to take my general elective classes now and save money, too.”
At Westmoreland, Guy studied liberal arts. He states, “I chose liberal arts as my major. That came from wanting to save up some money because as we know, college is not cheap, even if you get financial aid. Also, I wanted to go further with my education, so choosing liberal arts as my major has helped me with my business classes that I am now taking.”
After graduating, Guy had plans to attend St. Vincent College, but an unfortunate event took place.
“I had plans to attend St. Vincent College but then I actually never got to step foot on the campus. There's reasoning behind why that is. On July 23, 2024, which is my birthday, my grandma passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly. It was a very hard and tough time for me because me and my grandma were very close. So after going through all of that and thinking it over, I decided that it wouldn't be good for me to go in person to college with that weighing so heavily on my mind. I am now attending Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and I am loving it there. I am still a business administration major with a focus on organizational leadership. My anticipated graduation date would be in the Spring 2026. I am planning to honor my grandma whenever I graduate from SNHU,” says Guy.
When looking back at his college days, Guy can recall two fond memories.
“Two of my most fondest memories at Westmoreland County Community College would include Westly’s Giving Tee that we did around Christmas for children in Westmoreland County. The second memory would be graduation day because that generational curse was finally broken after receiving my diploma,” exclaims Guy.
Not only did Guy have a favorite instructor, he had two.
“My two favorite instructors would include Dr. Reamer and Professor Zappone. They are both extremely helpful and very informative in their lectures. They want to see the best out of their students and they always come in with a smile on their face. That, in return, makes the class and their college journey a good and enjoyable experience,” says Guy.
During his time at the college, he was involved in the TRIO program. (TRIO is a federally funded support program that strives to help students succeed in college, continue to enroll in courses and either graduate or transfer to a senior institution.)
Guy states, “It is often said that in college you will meet people who will become so influential, not only in your college journey, but also in your life. TRIO was the biggest influence in my college journey. I participated in a couple activities, like the Christmas cards that go to Saint Ann's Home. The TRIO Program has some fantastic staff, including my advisor, Jesse Somers. He was a wonderful advisor and helped me out a lot.”
Now that he has graduated from Westmoreland, what is he up to now?
He started off working with the Pittsburgh Steelers in their merchandise department for training camp during the summer and then at the stadium for their home games. He is currently employed at JCPenney's and on his way to becoming a leader on duty. He plans to stay there for his future career by trying to become a district manager.
Guy has been involved in his community.
He was a part of the Westmoreland Community Action’s Advocates 4 Change board, which is a group of individuals who are trying to end the stigmas around youth homelessness and homelessness all together.
“I was homeless when I started my college journey but I never let anything or anyone stop me from my goal of being the first college graduate in my family. So never give up! I loved my time at the college,” Guy shares.
In his spare time, Guy likes to cheer on the Pittsburgh Steelers and is also a fan of MTV’s, The Challenge.
There are certain people during Guy’s journey that he would like to mention.
They are his mom, brother, sister, dad, grandma, great grandma, uncles, Jesse Somers, Maria Loffredo, Julie Zappone, Dr. Reamer, his donor and everyone who has walked alongside him throughout my journey.
His advice to current college students?
“Don’t let your past define your future. Your current situation doesn’t mean it’s your future situation. Give 100 percent in everything you do and enjoy every minute of the journey,” says Guy.
Westmoreland robotics student, Katie Lynn, is the first female machinist at her company. Click here to read more about Katie and her story.
Click here to read a Tribune-Review article featuring Westmoreland alum, Victoria “V” Jennings.
Emily Beerbroer instructs culinary students at The “Culinary Corner Cafe” at the Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center.