The journey of a West Shore Connect student at Central Penn

Adi Mujkanovic tells Knightly News reporter

Gabryelle Breski about his time at the college

Photo of young woman with shoullder-length long blond hair

By Gabryelle Breski

Knightly News Reporter

gabryelle.breski@mymail.centralpenn.edu

West Shore Connect is a program for students who had high school learning-support or life-skills classes and are attending college.

Adi Mujkanovic, 20, is one of those students. He is enrolled in his second year at Central Penn.

A typical day for Mujkanovic consists of schoolwork, his job, campus-club work and his fitness program. He said his favorite part of his job picking up trash on campus is “enjoying nature and being with my buddy, Michael.”

two young men, one tall, one short
Adi Mujkanovic (right) and his buddy Michael Monismith outside the Central Penn super suite that West Shore Connect students use. Photo by Gabryelle Breski

He added: “We have new students this year, but they all have a lot to learn.”

Mujkanovic has accepted the role of showing students how to take on college life, even while admitting that he still has a lot to learn. Even so, he feels as though he is the most successful he has ever been.

He said more peers in the Central Penn super suite where West Shore Connect students gather and do homework before heading home adds to “one big family who stick together.”

A poster in the West Shore Connect super suite. Photo by Gabryelle Breski

Mujkanovic has learned over the last two years that college is not easy, but the tools students receive will allow you to be successful here.

While not always having it easy, he does recognize Central Penn as “very welcoming” and “a good college to be at.”

Mujkanovic enrolls in some difficult classes but realizes he must pay extra attention to his class selection and to his schoolwork.

Students and employees Mujkanovic has met at Central Penn have been “awesome” to him. He said the students and professors are his favorite part of Central Penn. They welcomed new students with open arms and many opportunities.

This year, the program added more mentors than last year.

He added that with mentors, students can do more activities on campus and go to more places.

For example, West Shore Connect students attended a Central Penn Knights soccer game and enrolled in college clubs.

Mujkanovic said he is excited to share that he is now a student reporter with The Knightly News Media Club and is a big part of the public service announcement video being shown to potential new students (see it at the West Shore Connect link – “here” – at the end of the sidebar article, “Mentorship turning into friendships,” below this story).

Besides being a student reporter, Mujkanovic recently spoke on The Knightly News Podcast about his year on campus.

Of the last year, Mujkanovic said, “It was pretty good, and I have learned a lot.”


Breski is president-elect of The Knightly News Media Club @ Central Penn College.

Comment or story idea? Contact KnightlyEditors@CentralPenn.Edu.

Edited by media-club co-adviser and blog editor Professor Michael Lear-Olimpi.


Mentorship turning into friendships

Thoughts from a West Shore Connect mentor

West Shore Connect is opening doors for more people than members of the program.

My first memory of my journey with the West Shore Connect program is my first term at Central Penn, while attending the college fair for Professor Susan Black’s introduction to human communication class, where I was introduced to the program.

Growing up with social media and feeling the constant comparison of people on the platforms, I learned quickly that my focus for my life was going to be helping people know and feel that they are enough.

Next, I met the teachers and students of the West Shore Connect program, then in its first year. The students welcomed me in and were excited about their college journey.

Over the last year, I have accompanied the students to classes and jobs, and I have had the opportunity to sit and talk with many of the new students.

Mentoring has helped me realize that a couple of minutes can go a long way. As students, we all need someone who will listen to us and relate to us. College is a journey that leads to the next steps in our lives, and that journey can be a very stressful one. If I can be the person to help another college student, then I want to do so.

In addition to being a mentor, I’ve had opportunities in Connect to broaden my horizons. Last spring, I had the amazing opportunity to help produce the West Shore Connect public service announcement, which is shown to school boards and future students. Hearing new students talk about the video and the excitement in their voices bring me a new sense of beginning for Central Penn and all students involved.

Mentoring has also granted me the opportunity to keep an open mind and to make new connections. I am grateful for the experiences I had over the last year and I am looking forward to more memories being made.

The program is always open to more mentors. Click here to learn more about it.

Gabryelle Breski