The Doctor is in!

Over the summer, Assistant Principal Sheena Smelko achieved her Doctor of Education (EdD) in Education Administration and Leadership from the Pennsylvania Western University California.

 

Dr. Smelko, who is the daughter of Rick and Elaine Fike of Sykesville, PA has been in education for 18 years.  In 2005, she married Nick Smelko of Punxsutawney, PA; together they have two children and have been active members of the Punxsutawney community for the last 20 years where she currently serves as a high school assistant principal.

 

Pictured: Dr. Mary Wolf, Associate Professor and Doctoral Capstone Faculty Committee Chair of Pennsylvania Western University California, newly-conferred Dr. Sheena Smelko, and Dr. Thomas Lesniewski, Superintendent of Punxsutawney Area School District.

 

Her career began as a high school English teacher at the Jefferson County Vocational and Technical School, before advancing her career as an educational leader by becoming the assistant principal of Punxsutawney Area Elementary School in 2019.  This year will mark her second year as one of the assistant principals at Punxsutawney Area High School. 

 

Major contributions to the Punxsutawney Area School District and community include her implementation of the K-12 “Leader in Me” program through the Franklin Covey Education Company, overseeing the Title I program at the high school, and of course, her action research project involving the school’s partnership with Tri-County Transportation.  

 

For her research, Dr. Smelko focused on the effect of professional development opportunities for school transportation personnel on student bus misconduct referrals at the elementary level.  The purpose of the study was to decrease student bus misconduct referrals, while supporting school transportation personnel through professional development training.  

 

Punxsutawney Area Elementary School serves approximately 1,060 students in kindergarten through sixth grade and is contracted through the Punxsutawney Area School District with Tri-County Transportation for transportation services.  Along with Dr. Smelko’s coordinated efforts and study, the district saw a 33% decrease in bus misconduct referrals.  Moreover, they witnessed a 28% decrease in repeat offenders.

 

“Dr. Smelko did a great job with her research and execution of her dissertation.  Her project has benefited PASD, and my office is proud of her growth as an educational administrator.” commented Superintendent of the Punxsutawney Area School District Dr. Thomas Lesniewski.

 

Dr. Smelko recalls her earlier years as an elementary student when she struggled to read and credits the incredible support of her parents in helping her to overcome those learning obstacles and pursue her dreams all the way to this point.  She also gives credit to her husband and children for being by her side as she worked late into the night and on most weekends.

 

According to the Statistical Atlas of the United States’ website, less than a half percent of professionals in Jefferson County have achieved a doctorate degree.  Among those professionals, male professionals outpace their female colleagues by 185%, making Dr. Smelko’s achievements and her contributions to the Punxsutawney community all the more notable.

 

Congratulations, Dr. Smelko!