Alumni Spotlight – Beth Sweitzer-Riley ’71

As the youngest of five children growing up on a 50 acre family farm in New Freedom, Beth Sweitzer was no stranger to hard work. “A strong work ethic was part of my early life,” she says, “and it never left me.”

When she was old enough, Beth also had a job at the Summers canning factory in New Freedom. But even with this additional responsibility, she made time for a rich student life at SHS.

She sang in the chorus, played violin in the orchestra and was on the field hockey team. She was also active in student government, serving as both class president and student council president.

She credits advisors Mr.  Ruth and Mrs. Krumrine for inspiring her. “This opportunity to serve in leadership positions paved the way for the rest of my career in a multitude of ways.” She says. “I am thankful for my early start at SHS.”

Beth also credits Mr. Naylor (Calculus) and Mr. Reichart (Physics) for the guidance that led to her later successes. “It was a time when women were not recognized for gifts in math and science. They gave me the confidence to know that I could go beyond boundaries set by cultural norms.”

After graduating with academic honors and the school’s Outstanding Senior award in 1971, Beth attended Elizabethtown College, finishing her Bachelor’s degree (Cum Laude) in three years. Her plan was to get a teaching job, but was offered an administrative position at Elizabethtown. Her acceptance began a 41-year career in higher education.

She started taking counseling courses at Millersville University while working at the college and earned her Master’s degree in 1978.

Beth left Elizabethtown in 1979 as the Director of Student Housing for a position as Assistant Coordinator of Student Services at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Binghamton. She stayed at SUNY for six years, leaving in 1985 for a position as Coordinator of Counseling Services at Findlay University in Ohio.

For the next 17 years, she earned a sequence of promotions at Findlay that led to an assignment as Assistant Vice President for Student Development.

While in Ohio, she began working on her Doctorate in Philosophy in Higher Education at Bowling Green University, an honor granted in 1993.

In 2002, Beth returned to Pennsylvania as Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students at Wilson College in Chambersburg, but left in 2004 when offered the position of Vice President of the Student Development Division at Manchester University in Indiana. The attraction was a greater challenge at a larger institution.

At every stop in her career, she was honored for her hard work and service including the Educate for Service award (Elizabethtown), the Make a Difference Award (Findlay) and the Audrey L. Rentz Leadership Fellow in Higher Education (Bowling Green).

This year, Beth received the Service Through Professional Achievement Award at Elizabethtown College. This is the highest honor bestowed by that school on an alumni.

Beth retired from Manchester in 2015, but looks forward to continued service to her community and her profession.

In the understatement of the year Beth says, “I’m not a person to sit around. There are so many service opportunities wherever you look.”

Thanks to Beth Sweitzer, Class of 1971, for making us Warrior Proud.