Amanda Mulder

Amanda Mulder is a 34 year old full-time student at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. She is from Butler, Pennsylvania, a small town located 35 miles North of Pittsburgh. Her present status is that of a transient student for the fall session. 

Amanda earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary and Special Education from Mercyhurst University. She also has a Master’s Degree in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis, also from Mercyhurst University.

 Amanda chose Mercyhurst because “Hurst is home”. During her undergraduate days, she always felt at home on the Mercyhurst campus. The class sizes are small, but Mercyhurst has an exceptional student activities committee, and there was always a lot to do on campus. Student Activities supported her when she was a sophomore and started a campus Medieval and Renaissance Appreciation Guild.

Although she does not play a sport Amanda is a Zumba and Renaissance Dance instructor in her free time. This more than makes up for any vigorous exercise that she would do by playing a sport.

Something that Amanda was very proud of and wanted to share about herself is that she performed in the World’s Largest Orchestra in Pittsburgh at the Civic Arena. On April 19, 1998 the orchestra was comprised of one thousand two hundred and fifty-two string players, five hundred woodwinds, and two hundred and fifty percussionists for a world record total of two thousand one hundred and forty-nine members.    

 Amanda also has a passion for theater and performing arts in the community. Her interest in professional acting was rewarded with the MVP at Laurel’s House of Horror in Maryland, the highest acting award.  Here in Erie, her acting talents were appreciated when she was hired by Eeriebyss to act this past October for the Halloween season. And if that is not enough, she is a professional Escape Room Gamemaster. Mercyhurst University is fortunate to have a person of this caliber as part of its family.

Isabelle Lee

Isabelle Lee is an 18 year old freshman student majoring in History at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. She graduated in May, 2019 from Laurel High School in her hometown of Laurel, Maryland. Laurel is located halfway between Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland. Although it is about a six hour drive to get to Mercyhurst from her hometown, her decision to come here was based primarily on the AIM (Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst). The AIM program provides students on the Autism Spectrum a unique opportunity to experience college life in a way that is least stressful and most beneficial for them. Other factors that she considered in regards to choosing Mercyhurst University over other schools was the strength of the History department and the opportunity to join the school band.

When I asked if she played a sport, she at first said no but then she asked, “Does band count?” I have to agree that it counts big time! Watching the marching band on the field during football games appears to be as rigorous as some of the sports that are played. They practice long and hard and they can work up quite a sweat.

Regarding her personal history, Isabella has three siblings, all boys. There is no question that when she was raised in that kind of home environment, she needed to toughen up. That’s why it is not surprising that she told me that she loves watching all kinds of sports. For football, she particularly likes the Washington Redskins, in hockey there are the Washington Capitals, for baseball, her favorite team is the Baltimore Orioles and in basketball her allegiance is split between the Washington Wizards and the San Antonio Spurs. I’m surprised that the 2019 World Series Baseball Champions, the Washington Nationals were not part of the equation. But then again, who am I to judge?

Dr. Reed

Dr. Brian D. Reed is a member of the faculty in the English Department at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is very popular with his students. On the Rate My Professors site on Mercyhurst’s Web, consistently gets high ratings primarily because he makes the class very interesting and mixes a lot of humor in with his lectures. The students do say however that he requires a lot of reading and his pop quizzes are not that easy. 

Dr. Reed is originally from Canfield, Ohio, a small town of over 7000 people that is located about 10 miles Southwest of Youngstown, Ohio. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, a Masters degree in English Literature at Youngstown State University and a PhD in English Literature at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio. It sounds like the State of Ohio is near and dear to Dr. Reed’s heart.

Dr. Reed chose to apply and accept a position at Mercyhurst University primarily due to the wonderful way that the faculty works together in bringing together and sharing their knowledge and ideas. He was also impressed with the high caliber of students that attend Mercyhurst University and their dedication to learning. Finally, the small liberal arts college atmosphere was a big factor in Dr. Reed’s decision to come to Mercyhurst.

A couple of interesting facts that Dr. Reed shared with me was that he owned a restaurant for 10 years and that he has never watched a Rocky film all the way through. I would venture to say that the years of running a restaurant that required dealing with the people from all walks of life prepared him quite well for his vocation as a teacher. It’s no wonder that the students like him so much.

Fr. Jim Piszker

Reverend Jim Piszker is the chaplain for the students at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. When school is in session Fr. Piszker celebrates mass Monday thru Thursday at 8:00 AM and Sundays at 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM at the Christ the King Chapel on the university grounds. 

Fr. Jim’s presence here on campus goes far beyond celebrating mass. Campus Ministry at Mercyhurst University is very active. Students can choose to attend retreats, fellowship groups, prayer and study groups. These are available to all students regardless of their faith. Fr. Jim encourages the students to lead the various groups giving them the opportunity to help other students to grow in their faith as well as spiritual growth for the leaders themselves.

Fr. Piszker hails from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania where I am sure that he gets many questions about Punxsutawney Phil as well as some gentle ribbing. At 65 years old, Fr. Jim is just as enthusiastic about his vocation as he was when he was first ordained. His homilies are very engaging for the students, which is no minor feat in this day and age. Father earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in English from Clarion University located in Clarion, Pennsylvania. He received his Masters in Divinity degree from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland and was ordained to the priesthood in 1999 by Bishop Donald Trautman. When I asked him how he came about to be the Mercyhurst Campus Chaplain, he simply said, “I was assigned here by the bishop.”

Father Piszker enjoys listening to music in the little spare time that he affords himself. He particularly likes popular music ranging from the 1950s to the 1990s. Something people might not expect to hear about him is that he used to be a real estate tax assessor. I suppose that you can say that he and Zechaius, the tax collector in Luke 19, had something in common although Fr. Piszker approached his job much more honestly than Zacchaeus. 

Kolleen Sullivan

Kolleen Sullivan is a staff member and currently the Assistant Director and Career Path Coordinator for the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst and is from Buffalo, New York. She has worked for Mercyhurst from 2013 – 2017 as a Career Development Counselor in the Career Development Center at Mercyhurst. She left for a short period of time but found herself back on the hill to make a difference in students’ lives. She graduated from Hilbert College in Buffalo, New York with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services with a minor in Rehabilitation Services and received my Masters of Science degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from SUNY Buffalo State in Buffalo, New York. She currently does not play a sport but was very active in athletics growing up. She started at a young age playing soccer, basketball, volleyball and softball but by the time I attended high school, she was only playing softball not only for her school but for a traveling team as well. She also played softball during her undergraduate career but retired after getting hurt.

The reason she first chose Mercyhurst is because when she first became employed at Mercyhurst in late 2013, she was ecstatic to work here. Mercyhurst’s traditions, values and mission tired directly to my career goals and my personal endeavors. Mercyhurst faculty, staff and administration made you feel at home and empowered you to work towards making a difference. She enjoys every minute of my experiences here and mostly the impact students have on her.

Some things she wanted to share is that she has three dogs, Bella, Cooper and Sassy and foster dogs whenever she can help. She also loves to travel and has been to a lot of places domestically and internationally. She also loves to bake and cook. She even almost went to culinary art school after she graduated from high school but realized that it was something she loves to do but did not want to make a career out of it. 

Olivia French

Olivia French is a 19 year old Sophomore Student who started at Mercyhurst in August of 2018.  Although her hometown is Hermon, New York, she attended and graduated from Hermon DeKalb Central School in the nearby town of in DeKalb, New York in June of 2018.  The small town of Hermon has a population of only 1146 people thereby necessitating for the students to combine with those in DeKalb.   

Olivia did not participate in any formal team sports but she did quite a bit of downhill skiing. It is no wonder since Hermon, New York as way up at the northern tip of New York State where the snow is as plentiful as it is here in Erie, perhaps even moreso.

She chose Mercyhurst primarily due to the AIM (Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst) program. The program gives those that are on the Autism Spectrum specific help with any difficulties, both academically and socially, that the student may face during their course of study at Mercyhurst University. Olivia is very pleased to be in the program and claims that it has been very helpful to her.

Olivia is musically talented. She played the trombone for about 7 years prior to starting college. What is interesting is the fact that she played this instrument despite barely being able to read music. 

Some things she wanted to share about herself that most people might not expect is that she is fascinated by rare diseases. Some of the conditions she finds that are the most interesting are Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, a rare condition that causes soft tissue, such as muscle and ligaments, to turn into bone, eventually paralysing the individual. Another disease that interests her is Progeria, a rare genetic condition that causes a child's body to age fast.  She also has an interest in Leontiasis Ossea, or lion face. This is a rare medical condition with overgrowth of the facial and cranial bones. To each their own, I guess. 

Chase Masters

Chase Masters is a 20 year old student at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is currently a senior and is majoring in Intelligence Studies. Although he was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, he spent much of his early years in Arkansas. Chase graduated from highschool in Arkansas. The fact that he graduated from highschool is of course a good achievement for most everyone. However, interestingly enough, he graduated from highschool at the age of 15. That explains why he is a senior student at the age of 20. He and his family currently reside here in Erie, Pennsylvania. 

His choice of Mercyhurst University is a unique one. Most students base their choice of college on location, curriculum, campus environment and so forth. But not Chase! His choice of Mercyhurst was not based on the usual criteria. Rather, he chose Mercyhurst University was because his mother is the dean of the College of Business. Now, that’s not a bad connection to have when you are attending school. I'm surprised that he is not majoring in business.

Chase is a professional ESports team member in the trading card game, Magic The Gathering. ESports is a world wide video gaming competition organization that began back in 1972 at Stanford University. Not surprisingly, Chase is also a member of the Tabletop Games Club that meets every Monday evening at the Hirt Academic Center. This gives him an opportunity to hone his Magic The Gathering skills. The ESports team that Chase is a member of The Magic The Gathering Team is called “China Pal.” 

Some things he wanted to share about himself in the way of fun facts, as well as unexpected facts, is that in his ESports group, he is the only American member of his team. Another interesting fact is that Chase lived for a short while in the Philippines that in turn afforded him some good experience in living in a different culture.

Kennedy Beasley-Watson

Kennedy Beasley-Watson is a student at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. She is a unique individual that I met through my Tabletop Gaming Club that meets every Monday evening from 7-10 PM. The club congregates at the Hirt Building for the purpose of meeting new people who are interested in playing games such as Scrabble, Dungeons and Dragons, and Uno. There are approximately 100 members in the club and I have to say that Kennedy is one of the most interesting people in the group.

She hails from Carnegie, Pennsylvania, a small community that is located near Pittsburgh and only about 130 miles from Erie. She graduated from Chartiers Valley High School where she didn’t play any sports and claims that she took life easy. Although she likes to be close to home, she did not choose Mercyhurst University solely because of its proximity to her hometown. Upon visiting the campus she found the environment with its nicely designed buildings and flower beds a beautiful place to continue her education. The people that she met on her visit were also a big factor in her decision to come to Mercyhurst. They were very friendly and made her feel at home.

She is currently a Freshman majoring in Geology and although she finds the course of study challenging, she is enjoying her classes and her experience at Mercyhurst.

Interestingly, Kennedy was actually born in Alaska but grew up in Pennsylvania. She probably feels right at home here in Erie because we probably get as much snow as Alaska. I mentioned earlier that she was a most interesting person. I say that because she is very outgoing in the Tabletop Club and a lot of fun to be with. When she filled out the fun fact portion of the interview she said that she has just one kidney. I suppose that could be a fun fact.

Dr. Kris Gossett

Dr. Kris Gossett is a 45 year old faculty member in the Business Administration Department at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is also the club advisor for the Mercyhurst Modern Cinema Club. Originally he is from Muncie, Indiana. I had him as my professor this semester for his 21st Century Cinema class. He graduated from Delta High School in Muncie in 1992. Following graduation from highschool, Dr. Gossett attended Otterbein College where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 1996. He furthered his education by attending Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky and acquiring a Masters in Business Administration in 2000. Further studies at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana earned him a Doctorate in Business Administration in 2011.

He was attracted to Mercyhurst University because he always wanted to teach at a small, liberal arts school. Other schools that Dr. Gossett considered when searching for a teaching position were Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, but got the job at the University when he was recruited by one of his fellow classmates from Anderson University.

Although he enjoys teaching in the Business Administration Department, Dr. Gossett has many other interests that he was willing to share with me. He enjoys playing golf and tries to go out every chance he gets. He also plays basketball and it’s no wonder because he is quite tall and muscular in build. He is apparently surrounded by women in his family because he has no brothers and no male cousins. A fact that really surprised me was that he has watched approximately 825 movies at movie theaters since 2004. It is a passion of his. Every year for the past 3 - 4 years, Dr. Gossett has arranged campus trips to Toronto, Canada for the annual T.I.F.F. (Toronto International Film Festival). My family and I had the pleasure of joining him this year and we look forward to going again next year. 

Kaylyn Grzadzieleski

Kaylyn Grzadzieleski traveled from the Midwest part of the country to Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. She left her hometown of Bismarck, North Dakota, an area of the country that is famous for their snow storms and cold weather and came East to the harsh winters and cold weather in the Eastern snowbelt of Erie, PA. I am sure that she will feel right at home once the snow begins to fly and the temperatures dip down close to zero.

   She is a 19 year old sophomore student majoring in Applied Forensic Science. Kaylyn is on the Autism Spectrum and one of her reasons for choosing Mercyhurst University was the positive environment for autistic students.  She graduated from Bismarck High School where she achieved high academic standing and was named the class Valedictorian. Another reason that Kaylyn chose Mercyhurst University is because of the renowned Forensics program. Her strong educational background and her dedication to her studies has made her transition from highschool to college life much easier, especially for the challenges that the college curriculum presents .

Kaylyn enjoys spending the little free time that she allows herself to have by being an active member of the Tabletop Gaming Club. This is a group that meets every Wednesday evening. Those students involved in the club can pass the time with games like Uno, Dungeons and Dragons, and Scrabble. She is also a member of the Anime Club. The club watches animated Japanese films and series and share their ideas about what they watch. It is through these two groups that I met and got to know Kaylyn quite well.

You wouldn’t suspect it by looking at her photo but she says that she enjoys hunting and the outdoors. She also surprised me by telling me that back home she has 10 backyard chickens. 

Nathan J. Nitczynski

Nathan Nitczynski is an Academic Counselor at Mercyhurst University. Along with his job as an academic counselor, he is a Dance Instructor at Infinity Dance Academy.


Nathan attended Mercyhurst Prep for high school. He was an active student at his high school;  he participated in Spanish Club, Bible Study, Show Choir, Dance Company, Theater, and was a member of the International Thespian Society. His passions and extracurricular activities continued when he continued his higher education.

Nathan earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Thiel College. He was a member of the Student Government Association, Theater, Musical Theater, Varsity Danceline, and was on the Competitive Dance Team. His highlights at Thiel College consisted of being on the Competitive Dance Team, earning Alpha Psi Omega, Thiel Players, and The Student Government Association (SGA). He went on to pursue his Masters of Science in Education, College Counseling and Student Affairs at Youngstown State University.



Nathan has an impressive job background in the dance field, some of his past jobs in dance

have included; he was a Dance Teacher at Kristin's Dance, in 2016. As a Dance Teacher, he instructed dance classes to students among different age groups and skillsets. His focus was on tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical dance. As he worked as a Dance Teacher, he was a Choreographer at Greenville Area Community Theater. Through this, he would teach dance and movement to cast members of the theatrical productions for this community theater program. From 2016 to 2017, he was a Competition Team Director for AC Dance Company. Through this program, he implemented and designed a curriculum for Dance Team in two different genres of dance. He coordinated competition and convention events with parents of students of the teams. He choreographed routines to be adjusted to regional events. As he was a Competition Team Director for AC Dance Company, he was the Assistant Director at ViBe Dance Academy. As the Assistant Director, he would teach dance to students from age five through adulthood. He would continue to choreograph dance routines in various genres, as he coached competition teams. His main areas of choreography consisted of jazz, ballet, tap, lyrical, pointe, and hip hop. As he works as an Academic Counselor at Mercyhurst, he continues to work as a Dance Instructor at Infinity Dance Academy. He teaches dance to people of any age group.


Nathan has worked as an Academic Counselor at Mercyhurst since March of 2018, and from January 2018 through February 2018, he worked as a graduate intern for The Office of Academic Support and Learning Differences at the University. Before working at Mercyhurst, he worked as a Career Development Graduate Assistant at Hiram College. Through this, he would coordinate undergraduate interns at Hiram College to ensure satisfaction among each internship group. He would meet with several diverse undergraduate students to review their resumes, assist them in writing cover letters, and discuss their career goals. He would plan and execute programming and events for undergraduate students to  engage in their professional development. His past work experience in the field of academia is continuous and impressive for his age.


Nathan's past experiences have set him up to assist students in achieving success in their academics at Mercyhurst University. If students ever need assistance for anything or advice, Nathan is a great person to go to. He works with students in the Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences, and his willingness to go above and beyond to help anyone he can.


- Isabel C. Merriman