Allegheny College
09/05/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/05/2024 07:16
Allegheny Graduate Appointed As Butler County Community College’s Interim President
As interim president of Butler County Community College (BC3), Megan McClean Coval '05 has dedicated her career to higher education for almost two decades, which was originally sparked by an administrator at Allegheny College.
"Post-secondary education, for so many students, is a game changer," explains Coval. "Being in a profession where you're helping to provide opportunity to obtain an education is incredibly positive and fulfilling. Pursuing higher education is one of the biggest differences one can make in one's life."
After graduating from Allegheny College with a degree in political scienceand a minor in communications, Coval pursued a master's degree in higher education from Pennsylvania State University with a policy focus.
From there, she worked in the Office of Admissions at Pennsylvania State University and the Department of Education on higher education policy regarding the federal student aid programs. Coval continued to excel in Washington, D.C., where she eventually became vice president for policy and federal legislation at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administration.
She credits Allegheny College for developing her leadership skills as a student involved with Alpha Chi Omega, Gator Activities Programming, and community service learning in Meadville.
"There was so much opportunity to engage. Allegheny did a tremendous job of encouraging leadership as a form of service," says Coval. "I had such a wonderful experience at Allegheny both in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Just being exposed to so many types of different classes and disciplines, which comes along with a liberal arts degree…opened my eyes."
Wanting to return to her home of Western Pennsylvania, Coval took the opportunity to become the executive director of BC3's Education Foundation. Now as interim president, she oversees BC3's six campuses' day-to-day operations, while providing leadership and direction for the future.
"In terms of preparation, Allegheny taught me how to think…to be able to analyze and come to my own conclusions about something I was learning about," reflects Coval. "The biggest thing for me, and this has been so helpful to me in my career, is the strong writing and communication skills I obtained while in college. I have Allegheny to completely thank for that. The emphasis that Allegheny places on not just learning a topic, but being able to accurately and clearly communicate that topic orally or written has served me so well."