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

Christa Knipes

Christa Knipes is a Junior from Lebanon, Ohio, and is double majoring in Dance and English and minoring in Psychology. She is involved with several clubs on campus.

Christa did not have your typical upbringing; she started her education through being homeschooled in her rural town, with not much to do. She expressed she was unlike the other students in her hometown that were homeschooled. She knew this form of education was not a good fit for her, as she has a passion for dance.

Christa knew to achieve success in the field of dance; she needed to take a leap of faith. So, in her Junior year of high school, she decided to enroll in Interlochen Arts Academy. She knew boarding school would be different, but with her bubbly personality, she excelled and reached her goal of majoring in dance at the university level.

Christa grew up with her parents, her dog, and her older brother Connor who was homeschooled with her from a young age. She believes her family has been vital in achieving the success she has today, as they have been both supportive and inspiring as she took steps to reach her goal of pursuing dance at a higher level. She jokes that her family is like a real-life sitcom. The laughs and love her family has provided her throughout her life, has helped her stay grounded and be her true self.

Hurst Day 2019, Christa is on the far right. 

After graduation, Christa has several goals in mind. She plans to receive a Master's in Secondary Education and intends to become a professional ballet dancer for as long as she can. She also hopes to utilize her degree to teach English to middle schoolers and high schoolers.






Christa is active in several clubs on campus and has very little free time between her involvement on campus and her studies. She is in Dance Club, Phi Chi, Phi Eta Sigma, and NHSDA. Christa is currently the Co-President of Dance Outreach as she has limited time to herself, from her studies clubs, and her job on campus. She utilizes her free time for catching up on sleep, reading, writing, and having sarcastic conversations with her friends.


She prides herself in reading the entire Harry Potter series out loud to her dog when she was in elementary school. Her passion for reading at a young age has helped her excel as an English major, as she picked up on grammatical structures at a young age from the extensive reading she would do in her spare time. 

Christa is a student who is always on the move. If you are lucky enough to have a class with her or find her in her free time, I would suggest taking the opportunity to have a conversation with her.  You will be able to meet someone who has a unique background and has continued to work her way to the top while redefining the odds.

- Isabel C. Merriman

Jieny Dour

Jieny Dour is a senior majoring in Political Science with a concentration in international relations and minoring in Pre-law and Sociology. Jieny was born in South Sudan but grew up in Buffalo, New York. Jieny runs the club Afrobeats, teaching dance to other students. She ran on the Cross Country team from her freshman through her junior year.

Jieny and her family came to the United States in 2000; as a result, to escape the war in Sudan. She is the second youngest of seven children, and she and her family are still close to their African roots and culture. She founded Afrobeats as a way to connect her culture to Mercyhurst. The club teaches dances from different cultures, helping bridge the gap for students wanting to learn about different genres of music and ethnicities.

Jieny did not run in high school; she played basketball. She wanted to remain active, so she decided to join the Cross Country team. Her senior year, she chose not to continue to run so that she could focus on her academics. She still socializes with her former teammates and finds ways to stay active.

Before Mercyhurst, Jieny attended a trade school, receiving a degree in criminal justice. While going to school as a student-athlete and trade school, Jieny also helped her mother with the daily chores around the house. Her culture values respect and hospitality, so Jieny was taught to be respectful and courteous to guests and anyone she meets. Jieny's culture also valued Earth, and this led to Jieny's become an environmentalist. As an environmentalist, Jieny advocates for the protection of Earth and animals, she's still an advocate for Mother Earth. She fights for the protection and preservation of the Earth and all its living creatures.

As well as being an environmentalist, Jieny is also a humanitarian and hopes to incorporate it into her career. Jieny wishes to use her degree as a way to help those less fortunate and push for equality. Jieny isn't afraid to fight for what she believes is right because her mother told her always to be proud of what she stands for.

- Isabel C. Merriman