Central Penn College Student Inspires Mount Holly Springs’ New Slogan
“Where Mountain Creek Flows, Community Grows” is now Mt. Holly Springs’ official slogan, thanks to collaboration between Central Penn College students and community leaders.
Freshman Darwin Cruz proposed the phrase in class on April 25, and Mt. Holly Springs (MHS) Councilwoman Pam Still quickly championed it. Last night, the Borough Council adopted the slogan, recognizing its connection to MHS’s identity.
Darwin Cruz exclaimed, “I’m incredibly honored and thrilled! It’s amazing to know that something we worked on in class will now help represent the spirit of Mount Holly Springs. It really shows how ideas can connect people and place.”
The new slogan marks the beginning of a deeper partnership between MHS and Professor Rick Coplen’s Central Penn College macroeconomics students. Student Issy Kochenour asserts, “What I see in Mount Holly Springs is not an insurmountable number of drawbacks, but incredible opportunity. MHS has one significant advantage over many others: people who care. With this vital asset, Mount Holly Springs will soon thrive again.”
Mount Holly Springs Mayor, Deborah Halpin-Brophy, agreed, commenting, “We do care about our community, and I was pleased to read Issy’s statement about how our community representatives took the time to meet with the Central Penn Students. We are a small town, small budget, but big on labor, talent, and lots of love.”
Through discussions with local leaders and hands-on exploration, including upcoming walking and driving tours on May 16, students will continue to apply macroeconomic principles to help with real-world community building. Those macroeconomic principles and policies include federal fiscal and trade policies, as well as local and state catalytic investments in public education and training, infrastructure, and sustainable energy. Additionally, the students seek ways to apply Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) concepts and inspire cross-sectoral collaborative solutions among businesses, governments, nonprofits, faith communities, academia, and civil society.
The May 16 tour includes a lunch hosted by the MHS Borough at Trine Park, including grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. The noon event will feature presentations by MHS business owners and Police Chief and Borough Manager Tom Day. Students will also gain critical insights during stops at Mt. Tabor AME Zion Church and Amelia S. Givin Free Library.
Regarding Mt. Tabor, Carmen James said,“We look forward to sharing the stories and history with a new group of young people.” Library Director Cindy S. Thompson will teach the students about the history of the Givin Free Library, its current community-building programs, and plans.
Regarding the origin story of the evolving collaborative relationship between Mount Holly Springs Borough and Central Penn College students, Jim Burgess, a MHS Heart and Soul team leader, stated, “Community success grows when organizations collaborate! Mount Holly Springs Heart and Soul fostered this by creating a connector role at its March 29th Action Plan Summit, sparking the
Mount Holly Springs Borough and Central Penn College partnership.”
Councilwoman Pam Still said, “On behalf of Mt. Holly Springs, we would like to thank Professor Rick Coplen’s class for taking the time to get to know us and applying macroeconomic principles to the challenges we face. We look forward to June 20th, when the student groups present their final reports!”
Coplen added, “We are bringing creative young people in to assist the MHS community and economy-building process, setting up the goal posts and guidelines, and standing back and watching the magic happen. Our innovative Central Penn students and their experienced Mt. Holly Springs collaborative partners are just getting warmed up!”
