HARRISBURG, Pa. — Jessica Sheets and her father, Ethan, have a lot in common. Both of their birthdays are in August, back-to-back in fact — hers Aug. 1, and his Aug. 2. They both grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania, both completed their studies at Penn State Harrisburg — and both had their commencement ceremonies preempted by historic events.
Jessica, who will receive her doctoral degree in American studies as a member of Penn State Harrisburg's spring Class of 2020, will attend her commencement virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ethan was a member of the college's Class of 1972, which due to flooding in Middletown, Pennsylvania, as a result of Hurricane Agnes, did not have a commencement at all.
Here, Jessica shares their commencement story:
"I have worked at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania since 2006. To help further my career, I began the American studies doctoral program at Penn State Harrisburg in 2013. I successfully defended my dissertation, '"No More Striving of Brother against Brother": Family Divisions and Historical Memory of the Revolutionary War,' in December 2019. My degree will be conferred in May 2020.