Bristol-Based Nonprofit Helps Students Reach Goals

Provided by the Center for Independent Living of Bucks County: 

It may take Rowan Haldeman a bit longer to write a college essay or take an exam, but the 20-year-old Pennridge High School alum knows the names of every single AHL and NHL player.

The hockey stats come in handy for Haldeman, a sophomore at Bucks County Community College, who hopes to one day land her “dream job” as a statistician for a major-league hockey team.

“I’d love to do it for the Flyers – during the intermission I’d love to give a recap,” Haldeman said. “You don’t usually see many women do that. There’s only a couple. The majority are men.”

Breaking barriers is nothing new for Haldeman, who studies longer and works harder to battle through her comprehension learning disability.

“I fought through it and I’ve never given up,” she said. “I won’t stop until I have my dream of being in the NHL panel or some job that will get me far in life.”

The young woman’s tenacity led to the Center for Independent Living of Bucks County granting her a $500 scholarship. Board member David Rogers said Haldeman’s application stood out from the other two dozen submitted.

“Rowan had a very definite direction that she was trying to go in,” Rogers said. “She was in no way letting her disability bother her. She’s a fascinating young lady going into a field that’s not only unusual for a woman, but unusual for anyone.”

The Bristol-based nonprofit organization has been awarding scholarships to Bucks County Community College students with a disability or pursuing a career working with individuals with disabilities for about 10 years. The Center awards five $500 scholarships each year, including the Mirca Liberti Scholarship and the Louis C. Catalanotti Scholarship. Dec. 1 is the deadline for the next round of scholarship applications.

Jennifer Osinski, Bucks County Community College accessibility office director, said approximately 3 to 5 percent of the college’s 10,000 to 15,000 students are registered with the accessibility office as having a disability and therefore eligible to apply.

For Haldeman, the scholarship paid for her statistics class. She got a B in the class and maintains a 3.0 GPA.

Her next goal is to transfer to DeSales University to major in communications and minor in sports management. “I’d like to get a good job and live a nice life, kind of be on my own and conquer the world,” she said. “I don’t want to be one of those people who get their associates and give up. I want to go the distance.”