Westmoreland County Community College is a prominent and local option for Latrobe graduates to further their education. About 40 graduates from the class of 2018 opted to attend WCCC last year. Some Latrobe students even take a few classes there before they even graduate. In recent years, WCCC has become even more local, with the opening of their new campus in downtown Latrobe.

WCCC has started doing massive renovations on their Youngwood campus. These renovations include an addition to Founders Hall, an addition to Science Hall, better signage and lighting around their campus, and a simulation suite for nurses. The first phase of the renovations are set to be done by 2020, while another phase is set to happen between 2022 and 2025. This second phase would create new social and work places for students.

On June 7 of 2018, WCCC announced on their website that work on the new Student Achievement Center had started and is set to be finished by 2020. The Achievement Center is the addition that will be made to Founders Hall. Dr. Tuesday Stanley, the president of WCCC, said, “Students are our focus. With the new center, we have aligned the design with our mission to provide student support programs that allow them to achieve their goals.”

The current state of the renovations and the college can be seen on the Westmoreland County Community College Facebook page. One video that was posted on July 30th of this year, shows the area that used to be the library, which has been completely torn out. Another video that was posted on August 1 shows the exterior renovations of Founders Hall. The outside is all torn up, trees removed and rubble on the ground. The iconic WCCC gazebo will still be on campus after construction, and the new entrance will be where the current Founders Hall sign is.

WCCC student, Jennifer Kalie said, “I know once the remodeling is done it will be great. However, I am looking forward to the day it is complete. Some of the hallways have been blocked off.”

Kalie is looking to the future with the renovations. “I think it will be more updated. I think we will have better places to study, relax, etc. It is being updated to fit our needs which will make it, so we want to stay on campus more.” Kalie is excited for the renovations because “… the vibe on campus will be more lively”, and new study areas will be available for students.

Although it will still be a couple years before there are any completed major renovations, it will all be worth the wait in the end. The new additions and changes will not only freshen up the campus, but improve the quality of the atmosphere and student environment.

https://www.facebook.com/ConnectWCCC/videos/1911809898882612/

(Featured Image from WCCC Video)