Christine Dallies-Herman

While most people shy away from interactions with troublesome children, Christine Dallies-Herman of Beaver Falls dreams of reaching out to them. She has a desire to minister to the needs of children before they become delinquents. Geneva College’s human services major in the Degree Completion Program is giving her the training she will need to eventually reach her goal.

Before enrolling in Geneva College’s Degree Completion Program, Christine was taking classes in criminal justice at an area community college while working full-time for the state in a paraprofessional capacity with juvenile delinquents.

"I felt there was something more I needed and wanted to do with my life," Christine says, "Having my bachelor’s degree in human services will open up many more employment opportunities for me within the state and county."

Because Christine preferred classroom meetings to online classes, her college of choice needed to offer local and convenient class times. Geneva College’s DCP met these needs with 11 sites in western Pennsylvania and one four-hour evening class a week. She says, "The fact that it’s a Christian college, has a reputation for academic excellence, and offered the human services major I was looking for made Geneva an easy choice for me."

While there are 11 different sites for DCP classes, the site main campus on College Hill in Beaver Falls was most convenient for Christine.

Within the program, Christine has found a great support system of classmates and professors to encourage and cheer her on through the 17 months. Also the program’s Applied Research Project is giving her the experience she needs in a professional setting.

From here, Christine plans on transferring into Children and Youth services and aspires to attain a master’s degree in social work. Her attitude towards her future is the same as her advice to those who find themselves feeling "something more" is needed: "Go for it…you won't be sorry!"

- by Abby Cruse

Christine graduated from Geneva College in May 2008.

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