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Alumna credits education, experiences at LHU for career

MULL

LOCK HAVEN — Andrea Mull, an alumna of both Lock Haven University and Lock Haven University Clearfield, credits her successes in her professional career as associate director of student health services at Penn State Harrisburg, to her education and experiences at LHU.

Mull attended LHU from 1997-2002, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in health science, community health and minors in psychology and therapeutic recreation. She then returned to LHU from 2011-15 through online courses for a bachelor’s degree in nursing, based out of the Clearfield campus.

Mull began her career at Penn State Harrisburg in 2015 as registered nurse and health educator and was promoted to her current position in July 2017. Prior to and during her time at PSH, she also held the position of registered nurse in women’s and children’s health — specifically in the NICU, pediatrics and mother-baby care — at the former Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center, now UPMC Pinnacle Lititz. She left her position at Heart of Lancaster after more than nine years of service, to focus on her role at PSH.

“My education at LHU has helped me tremendously. I pull from multiple experiences and am better able to relate to students because of this,” Mull said. “I feel more well-rounded as an individual because of the diverse activities I was involved with and the different programs that I successfully completed.”

Mull said that LHU helped guide her to where she is today and she is using each degree in her daily work. “Even with changing concentrations with my major halfway through my initial career at LHU, I feel that both areas were relevant to one another … Not only do I feel that this makes me more marketable in my profession, but also the experiences and education from both programs are vitally important today in my examinations and treatment of patients,” she added.

Mull said she always has loved helping people — especially children. She served as president of the Health Science Club while attending LHU, where she helped to teach youth how to care for themselves. She also was and remains a member of the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority, where she was able to connect with peers and the community. She also said the athletic training program at LHU helped her in nursing, particularly with college students and the amount of injuries she comes across almost daily in her current position.

She said the community connections she made while in college made her want to continue to pursue her initial career path of bringing health education to mental health. “After several years in that field, I changed direction and got out of healthcare,” Mull said. “It wasn’t until I was in a horrific accident, that I walked away from, that it made me realize that nursing was what I always wanted to do — it encompassed health education, servant-hood, and giving back.”

Mull said the nursing program pushed her to do better in her career and her experiences in the program now help her to relate better with the students in the classroom.

“I even bring Lock Haven experiences and internship experiences into my seminars that I lead for first year students,” she said. “There is no one defined experience that I had at LHU, but a multitude of so many experiences that pointed me in the direction that I have chosen. LHU is more than just education, it’s a stepping stone to your future, and a rock in your corner.”

Mull plans to eventually pursue a doctorate of nursing practice in healthcare administration.

For more information on Lock Haven University, visit www.lockhaven.edu, email admis sions@lockhaven.a or call 570-484-2011.

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