Our participant, Kendall Harris-Burton
This is Kendall Harris-Burton. He was a Fine Arts major at Hussian College until the summer of 2023, when he and his classmates were told they would need to find another school to finish their degrees, as the college was shutting down. Feeling uncertain about his next steps, Kendall reached out to the University of the Arts (UArts) and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). Unfortunately, UArts rejected his application, and PAFA required him to pay tuition upfront. On top of this, Kendall was dealing with personal challenges that made it difficult to continue his education.
However, hope came when the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCA&D) reached out and offered the financial support Kendall needed to get back to school. Transitioning to PCA&D, Kendall eventually graduated in May 2024 with a degree in Graphic Design.
PCA&D and ACHIEVE Program
Living in Philadelphia, Kendall had a long commute, taking a train and walking about 20 minutes to campus. Fortunately, his classes were hybrid, so he only needed to be on campus three days a week. PCA&D helped make his commute easier by providing train tickets and monthly passes. When his laptop broke during the first week of school, PCA&D quickly supplied him with a new one, which he still uses today.
Kendall was one of 23 students enrolled in PCA&D’s ACHIEVE Program, supported by the Lancaster County Workforce Development Board (LCWDB) through the Near Completers Grant. The grant, which was distributed to three institutions—Millersville University, Elizabethtown University, and PCA&D—helped 54 students in the 2023-2024 academic year finish or continue their degrees without disruption.
Reflecting on his journey, Kendall is deeply grateful for the support he received from the PCA&D team. “It wasn’t just financial help,” he shared. “I had academic support as well. I worked with a tutor who helped me through my classes.”
Paperboard® Packaging Council’s Student Design Challenge
One of the highlights of his time at PCA&D was participating in the Paperboard® Packaging Council’s Student Design Challenge. Kendall and three teammates, including two other ACHIEVE participants, competed against students from schools like Rochester Institute of Technology and California Polytechnic State University. After lots of testing and consultations with a PCA&D advisor, their team took first place with their innovative potato packaging design. Kendall described the experience as “amazing—more experimental than academic,” providing him with a glimpse into real-world design challenges.
“The program and the staff were very supportive,” Kendall said. “Even now, I can still reach out to them for resources.”
Thanks to the ACHIEVE program, PCA&D, and the support from LCWDB, Kendall’s journey from uncertainty to success is a testament to the power of community and perseverance.
Programs like ACHIEVE make a lasting difference for students like Kendall—and you can help too! Join us in supporting initiatives like these during #ExtraGive. Every contribution counts toward empowering more students to achieve their dreams!
