Frackville native, largest individual donor to Penn State Schuylkill, commits to STEM internship fund
PHOTO COURTESY / PENN STATE - Thomas Wylonis
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN – A Frackville native is now the largest individual donor to Penn State Schuylkill and has endowed an internship fund for students pursuing careers in STEM fields.
Thomas W. Wylonis, a 1963 Frackville High School graduate, has been a champion of innovation, mentorship, and learning at Penn State Schuylkill, the university says. He started his academic career at the local campus before transferring to University Park.
He has committed to endow the Wylonis STEM Internship Fund, which the university says is designed to support internship experiences for Penn State Schuylkill students pursuing STEM careers in the greater Schuylkill County area.
“Through his mentorship, philanthropy and leadership, Wylonis continues to shape the future of Penn State Schuylkill, ensuring that students have access to transformative learning experiences that prepare them for success in STEM and beyond,” said Cory Scherer, interim chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill. “His unwavering support has inspired us to aim higher for our campus, and his new gift to create the Wylonis STEM Internship Fund will help future technology leaders to follow in his footsteps.”
Wylonis has worked in various capacities in technology, working at Bell Laboratories and serving as an angel investor and board leader for high-tech startups overseas.
Returning stateside in 2007, Wylonis re-engaged with Penn State and MIT and has been an advisory board member at Penn State Schuylkill. He has played a pivotal role, the university says, in introducing experiential learning programs in entrepreneurship and interpersonal skills.
To date, 24 students have benefited from the Wylonis Scholarship and Wylonis STEM Scholarship. Wylonis has mentored many of his scholarship recipients, fostering their academic and professional growth.
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