Ruth Matthews Bourger
Women with Children Program
The Women with Children Program (WWC) at Misericordia University is one of only eight programs in the United States. The Program empowers economically disadvantaged single mothers by providing the opportunity to complete a college degree, creating brighter futures for themselves and for their children. The pathway to college and the completion of a four year degree may seem impossible right now. Through our program the roadblocks to higher education are removed and the completion of a college degree becomes a reality.
For more information, please view our informational brochure here or contact the Director, Katherine Pohlidal, at 570-674-6728.
Click here to download the application for the Ruth Matthews Bourger Women With Children Program.
Katherine Pohlidal, Director of the Bourger Women With Children Program at Misericordia University, recently appeared on the #OnTheStacks podcast to share the history and culture of the coal mine region in NEPA and how it relates to the Sisters of Mercy establishing Luzerne County’s first four-year institution of higher education.
From working in the prison system to higher education at Misericordia University, it is Katherine’s mission to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty through a two-generational model of providing single mothers the opportunity to complete a college degree while living on campus with their children. Katherine also talks about her latest venture, the Parent Pathways Program of NEPA. Funded by Robin Hood, the program is modeled after Misericordia’s Women with Children Program to help single parents near the poverty line access opportunities for higher education or high skill trades. Listen to the podcast here.
The #OnTheStacks Podcast hosted by Bill Corcoran Jr. features the stories and experiences of passionate business owners, entrepreneurs and community leaders in the Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA) region and beyond. His podcast is ranked in the top 3% of Podcasts Worldwide. It is listened to in 20 Countries and on 7 out of 7 Continents.
- Our Mission: Mulier Fortis-Building on the Tradition of Valiant Women
- Our History
- The Women with Children Program
- Child Care
- Programming and Family Enrichment
- Financial Aid
- Requirements of the Program
- How to Apply
- Women with Children Staff
- Student-Driven Philanthropy Project