Rebecca Mundorff shatters the stereotype that a student in a secondary vocational program isn't headed for college. Rebecca graduated from Bedford High School in 1989 after moving through the Health Occupations program at the Bedford County Technical Center. Today she is Assistant Director of Nursing for Pennknoll Village and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh. "The Tech Center prepared me well for a career in the health field," she said. "I feel I received training in the best of both worlds while I was in high school - attending the Tech Center gave me clinical experiences and a hands-on grounding, and my academic courses gave me the ability to handle college work."

She says she definitely found the nursing coursework easier than it was for some of her fellow students because of her Health Occupations classes. "It was a major advantage," she says. "The anatomy and physiology courses and the clinical experiences gave me a leg up." At Pennknoll Rebecca has a variety of duties - overseeing the employee health program as well as supervising staff and working directly with residents. "There's never a dull moment," she says. "I like working with the residents and feel we provide a valuable service. Helping residents maintain or improve their quality of life is rewarding." That's especially true because she knows so many of the residents or their families. "I like the feeling that I'm giving back to Bedford County working here," she says. The downside to the job is long hours she often puts in at the nursing home. "It's not a typical 40-hour a week job and it does require commitment," she says. "It's a fulfilling career, however, It's what I've wanted to do all my life, so I'm happy."

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