Local Central Penn College student completes law school prep program

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Central Penn legal studies students (left to right) Marissa Monteiro, Rowena Rosel and Mary Greenwood-Drumheller recently completed the Widener University School of Law's Jurist Academy.

SUMMERDALE, PA (06/28/2013)(readMedia)-- Central Penn College legal studies student Mary Greenwood-Drumheller, of Danville, Pa., was one of ten students who recently completed the Widener University School of Law's Jurist Academy Program, as part of a partnership between Central Penn and Widener. The Jurist Academy is a law school prep program for rising college juniors and seniors who are traditionally underrepresented in law school.

Open to students nationally, three of the 10 students in the program were from Central Penn. The Harrisburg program, now in its third year, has had 30 participants over the life of the program.

"Now I know I want to go to law school," says Greenwood-Drumheller. "It [The Jurist Academy] was an awesome experience and I want to go to Widener. I know exactly what it takes to get there and how. I was truly blown away by this experience and was pleasantly surprised I was selected to participate."

Greenwood-Drumheller's ultimate goal is to practice law. She is a mother of two, works as a paralegal, and her husband will be attending Central Penn in the summer. Greenwood-Drumheller got out of the U.S. Navy in May 2011 and said she "needed a career yesterday" when she moved across the country, back home to Danville, Pa. She earned a paralegal degree and then transferred to Central Penn's legal studies program in October 2012. She will be graduating with her bachelor's degree this December and is in the process of applying to Widener.

Greenwood-Drumheller feels that Central Penn's fast-paced schedule prepped her for the Jurist Academy.

"Central Penn's legal studies program is truly a pre-law program," says Central Penn Professor John DeLeo.

The Jurist Academy consists of law school admission test preparation and practice testing, (LSAT) introductory coursework with personalized feedback and conversations with members of the bench and bar. Central Penn College requires legal studies students interested in applying to the Jurist Academy and attending law school in the near future, to possess a 3.0 grade point average and have completed a minimum of 60 college credits.

"The legal studies curriculum stresses the importance of critical thinking, writing, analysis and reading. While students also learn substantive law, the common thread through our program is the emphasis on practical analytical skills," says Central Penn Professor Randi Teplitz. "By emphasizing these skills in an undergraduate curriculum, Central Penn students are provided with a unique foundation that will support their success in the Jurist Academy program, graduate school and their future careers."

Central Penn College has been helping students turn potential into career success since 1881, now offering associate, bachelor's and master's degrees in the fields of accounting, business administration, criminal justice, information technology, communications, healthcare, homeland security, legal studies and organizational leadership. The college, currently serving students at its Harrisburg, Lancaster and Lehigh Valley locations, attributes its high rate of student success to a caring faculty and its hands-on learning approach. Based on Central Penn's most recent One-Year Graduate Survey, 82.9 percent of graduates were employed in their chosen field or continuing their education within one year of graduation. Central Penn College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. www.centralpenn.edu

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