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Alumnus Brian Costanzo found plenty of opportunities in Scranton

Equipped to Pursue Big Dream
By Kristin Wintermantel Durkin / Staff Writer - The Times Tribune
He just turned 21 in March, and already Alex Molfetas is a property owner in Scranton....

Noteworthy Alumni - The Times Tribune

I. Leo Moskovitz

Class of 1924

Long prominent in the regional financial community, he retired as president of First National Bank of Jermyn after more than 40 years of service. Under his leadership, the bank grew in assets from less than $4 million to nearly $300 million, and increased from a single location to four offices. He pioneered the promotion of women to administrative positions in banking. He was instrumental in the establishment of the North and South Vocational Technical Schools. He studied business at Lackawanna and later served on the college’s board of trustees, including several terms as chairman.

State Sen. Robert Mellow

Class of 1962

After graduating from Lackawanna with a degree in accounting, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Bethel College. His public-service career has spanned more than two decades during which he has reached the top leadership positions in the Pennsylvania Senate and within his party. First elected to the Senate in 1970, he is now serving a district record ninth term. Throughout his career, he has been a staunch advocate of efforts to protect the environment, promote economic development, improve the quality of education, and aid senior citizens and children.

Judge Chester T. Harhut

Class of 1963

Since joining the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas in 1987, he has been elected to two 10-year terms. Currently, he serves as president judge and is renowned for his work in Family Court, where he has established many innovative programs to aid children and parents involved in family conflicts. Earlier in his career, he established and managed the Neighborhood Legal Services office in Pittsburgh. He earned an associate’s degree in accounting from Lackawanna, a bachelor’s from Bethel College, his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and a master’s in judicial studies from the National Judicial College, University of Nevada.

Bryant McKinnie

Class of 1998

After being turned into an offensive lineman at Lackawanna, he became a star football player and was named an NJCAA and JC Gridwire All-American and a Northeast Football Conference All-Star. He earned a degree in education from Lackawanna and transferred to the University of Miami, majoring in sociology. He helped lead Miami to the National Championship in the Rose Bowl in 2002. As a senior, he won the Outland Trophy as the finest interior lineman in college football and was a consensus first-team All-American. Upon graduation, he was drafted in the first round by the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings.

Jane Blair MacKenzie

Class of 1941

A Scranton native, she earned a business degree from Lacka- wanna and later attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. For many years, she was office manager at the Country Club of Scranton and later served as manager of the Century Club in Scranton. Through her judicious investing strategies, she amassed a sizeable personal estate which she used to support selected schools and charities. When she died in 2000, she left the college the largest bequest in its history totaling more than $1.5 million.

One great decision led to another

Alumnus Brian Costanzo found plenty of opportunities in Scranton

Brian Costanzo has visited and lived in many places in the U.S. and considered a variety of career paths. He found that his hometown and his alma mater offered all the opportunity he sought — and more.

Costanzo, a Dunmore native who received an A.S. in Education at Lackawanna College in 1998, went on to earn a B.S. degree in Rehabilitation Services at Penn State University and an M.S. degree in Higher Education Administration at Marywood University. Today, he is the Director of Admissions right here at Lackawanna.

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I graduated high school, so it made sense to choose Lackawanna College,” he said, “where I could continue my education and my athletic career while gaining exposure to career possibilities. Honestly, I expected to spend only one or two semesters here, but several factors led me to finish my associate degree program.

“Most important of all, Lackawanna’s high student-to-faculty ratio enables teachers and staff to focus on individuals, helping them identify and achieve their goals. And the college’s connection with local four-year schools and the 14 state universities, through the Passport Program, enables students to transfer all of their credits; even though Penn State is not formally part of the program, 60 of my 62 credits were accepted at the main campus.

In addition, I received a baseball scholarship and was a volunteer assistant basketball coach in my second year. This is truly a great place to go after high school.”

While at Penn State, Costanzo completed internships in rehabilitation counseling in Wilmington, Delaware, and at the Scranton Counseling Center. “I always thought that I wasn’t a big-city person, and long commutes confirmed that suspicion,” he said. “So I decided to return to the Scranton area, where many of my friends from high school and college have returned, including my wife Amy.”

Costanzo and others who have returned to Scranton to build their future have done so for a variety of reasons, starting with the low cost of owning a home and starting a business. “ Scranton is approaching a big city in terms of restaurants, entertainment and culture,” he said. “Our region offers a lot of high-quality options, which are much more accessible — from pro baseball and hockey to big-name performances at the Scranton Cultural Center and a great menu of the arts at Lackawanna College’s Mellow Theater.”

“I know that the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce has played an integral role in expanding business opportunities in our community. In fact, the Chamber of Commerce works with Lackawanna College, helping us identify our region’s future training and education needs. We continually integrate those needs into our existing programs and add new programs.”

“With people like Brian Costanzo, talking about Scranton and contributing to its growth, it’s no wonder that community leaders, business owners, Lackawanna College and other local colleges and universities, and the media have connected with the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce,” said (college president Raymond S. Angeli, and former president of the Chamber of Commerce.) “Together, we have launched Rediscover Scranton — a marketing campaign created to tell people what their hometown has accomplished and has to offer, a program to connect those with Scranton relationships.”

For more information about Rediscover Scranton, visit www.rediscoverscranton.com. You can also learn more about this exciting initiative at Lackawanna College alumni events, where DVDs and other materials are being distributed.

The Lackawanna College Football program would like to thank the Lackawanna College Alumni Society for their generous donation of a Thanksgiving Dinner.

Todd Bargella, Assistant Athletic Director, Annmarie Kiehart, Alumni Society, Barbara Rosetti, Alumni Society, Mark Duda, Head Football Coach, and Kathleen Rosetti, Alumni Society