Meet Betty: Former Nontraditional Student and Community Advocate

Betty Snyder


“The professors, counselors and staff provided a safe and welcoming environment no matter your culture, sex, age or one's personal values or views.”
 

Betty M. Snyder
Social Science, 2008

Betty connected with HACC through her desire to fulfill her goal of becoming a community advocate while overcoming the challenges of returning to school. Of the numerous careers she pursued, becoming her parents’ caretaker was both the most challenging and rewarding. Her role and the social services she witnessed during this time inspired her passion to give back to her community: “HACC offered the courses I would need to transfer to a four-year college to attain a bachelor’s degree in social science. At the age of 54, I chose HACC to overcome the personal challenges I was facing with returning to college as a full-time student. The cost, time selection, variety and availability of classes reinforced my decision to attend HACC.”

As a HACC student, Betty enjoyed interacting with her peers and professors: “It was a pleasure attending classes that offered a sense of belonging in this learning environment. The professors, counselors and staff provided a safe and welcoming environment no matter your culture, sex, age or one's personal values or views.” In addition to the curriculum she learned, her professors prepared her to transfer with broadened worldviews and improved public speaking and writing skills. She obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Shippensburg University.

Betty accomplished her goal to give back to the community through her role as a mental health outpatient manager at TrueNorth Wellness Services. She also serves her community as a community liaison and educator with the Child Welfare Resource Center, Incredible Years parenting skills trainer and Child Protective Services community trainer. She is the recipient of the 2013 Adams County Children’s Advocacy Center Multidisciplinary Investigative Team Award and HACC’s 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award.