Penn State New Kensington will host a youth panel town hall meeting to discuss building stronger, inclusive and welcoming communities on Oct. 16. "The Hearts and Minds of Our Youth" will be moderated by New Kensington alumnae and staff member Yasmin Ray.
Mackinly "Mack" Adams sits in the Blissell Library at Penn State New Kensington to study. The library is a "light-safe" area for Mack, who was diagnosed with a rare form of actinic prurigo. The condition causes Mack to have severe internal and external reactions to sunlight and UV rays. The campus, which had already started converting older lighting to more sustainable LED lighting, was able to leverage vendors and budgets to convert more areas of campus so that Mack could have light-safe pathways. “The best thing will be to watch him walk across the stage when he graduates with his Penn State degree,” said Andrea Adolph, director of academic affairs at the campus.
Mack Adams stands next to the Lion Shrine at Penn State New Kensington. Adams, who suffers from a rare form of actinic prurigo, must wear protective head and eye coverings, as well as clothing, when outside. The sunlight and UV ray-induced disease causes severe internal and external reactions.
Mackinly "Mack" Adams appears on the screen of a Beam telepresence robot in Penn State New Kensington's Forum Theatre. Adams, who suffers from a rare form of actinic prurigo, is severely affected by sunlight and UV rays. The robot was used by Adams during New Student Days (NSD) in areas not yet converted to LED lighting. “It was very rewarding to see the excitement in his eyes when he got to see parts of the campus that he hadn’t been able to see prior to using the Beam,” said Jim Rounce, New Kensington’s director of information technology (IT).
Mackinly "Mack" Adams sits in the Penn State New Kensington theatre lobby with a laptop. Adams used the laptop to control a Beam telepresence robot so he could attend sessions of New Student Days (NSD) in areas not yet converted to LED lighting. The student, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of actinic prurigo, is severely affected by sunlight and UV rays.
Mackinly "Mack" Adams controls a Beam telepresence robot through a hallway at Penn State New Kensington. Adams, who suffers from a rare form of actinic prurigo, attended some portions of New Student Days (NSD) via the robot for areas not converted to LED lighting. The robot was acquired by the campus' biobehavioral health program (BBH) for distance learning initiatives. “Having the opportunity to utilize emerging technology to improve a student’s experience was very rewarding, and it reminded me why I got into education in the first place,” said Jim Rounce, director of information technology at the campus.
Mackinly Adams, left, and his mother, Kelly, speak with others in the Blissell Library at Penn State New Kensington during New Student Orientation (NSO). “I was really happy because I wanted this experience,” said Adams. “I feel like that for college, you need the face-to-face interaction, and there’s so many people that are going through the same thing that if you need help, you can find that here.” Adams, who was diagnosed with a rare form of actinic prurigo, is severely affected by sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) light.
Mackinly "Mack" Adams, center, attends a New Student Orientation (NSO) at Penn State New Kensington. “He’s never out of the house this long where he isn’t red and miserable by this time during the day,” said his mother, Kelly Adams. The first-year student suffers from a rare, sunlight-induced disease known as actinic prurigo and has not been in a conventional school setting since the fourth grade.
Mackinly “Mack” Adams hasn’t been in a real classroom since the fourth grade. The Arnold, Pennsylvania, native was diagnosed with a rare form of actinic prurigo, a disease that causes severe reactions to sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) light. Adams dreamed of having a real college experience, and Penn State New Kensington was able to make the goal a reality.
Mackinly "Mack" Adams sits in the Forum Theatre Lobby of Penn State New Kensington. The first-year student, with a rare form of actinic prurigo, has not been in a conventional school setting since the fourth grade.
