TowerFall2021

24 TOWER | FALL 2021 BY ESTHER SHANAHAN & JILLIAN LOVEJOY JOSEPH BICKELMAN ’20 “Never give up on yourself.” That’s the mantra Joseph Bickelman ’20 adopted when he returned to Kutztown to earn his degree several years into a leave of absence. It worked. He had been just five classes away from receiving a bachelor’s in history when his grandmother was diagnosed with renal failure. Bickelman was working as a journeyman electrician at the time, and traveling one or two hours each way to the job site. Unable to care for his grandmother, stay employed and study full-time, he and his then-fiancee, Tiffani, chose to move in with his grandmother so she could remain in her home. School was put on the back burner and he had to also stop wrestling for KU’s team. During the intervening years, it troubled him, and he was determined to finish. “I used to say to myself during wrestling, ‘Don’t leave anything on the mat,’” he shared. “I want to know that I gave it everything I had. Every day (during the leave of absence) when I woke up, I felt as though I had left something on the mat. I was paying my student loans and I didn’t have the degree to show for it.” The first of many steps to re-enroll was reaching out to KU professor Dr. Andrew Arnold , his former advisor, and then meeting with Dr. David Beougher , dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Dr. Janice Chernekoff , Department of English, guided him throughout the process, which included writing and submitting a proposal of study. After being awarded an academic scholarship toward his remaining courses, Bickelman dove back into school. He was poised for success: now an electrician for the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs at the Fort Indiantown Gap base, lengthy commutes were a thing of the past; and his classes were online and could be done at his own pace. Completing his degree was more important than ever – it meant room for growth in his job; a raise; and opened opportunities to transition from the electrical and maintenance division to administration. “I really enjoyed hybrid classes,” he said. “I had to motivate myself – if I didn’t do the work, I wouldn’t get the grade and I’d lose my scholarship! It was surreal when I submitted my last paper. I couldn’t believe I was finally done! It was a blast.” Bickelman lives in Pottsville, Pa., with his wife, Tiffani, and newborn son, Matthew. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS