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Dan Hoch: Leading with empathy to create a positive work culture

The DoubleTree in Reading is the hotel chainā€™s highest rated hotelā€”for the second year in a row. Established in 2011, the award recognizes the exceptional team members and employees who follow the Hilton company vision and their mission. The members and staff are the heart of the hotel chain and represent the great success of the company.

Dan Hoch is the Director of Business Development for Reading Hospitality Management, the company which manages the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Reading.

In his position, Hoch is in charge of making things happen, but most importantly, heā€™s the driving force behind the scenes. He has been at the hotel since the day it opened and has been a big part of making things happen ever since.

ā€œI grew up spending every summer down in Bethany Beach, Delaware. My family had a little home. I worked every summer, so I was the only kid that wasnā€™t tan at the beach because I worked all day,ā€ Hoch said, explaining how he got into the hospitality business in the first place.

ā€œI worked at every restaurant that you could imagine down in Rehoboth, Ocean City, Dewey, all over the place. I loved being in hospitality. I loved pleasing and serving people to make them happy and have a great experience.ā€

So, what does his average day look like? Well, he prioritizes his staff and team member, making sure theyā€™re well informed and ready to start each and every day. He explained that itā€™s important to have a good relationship with each member. Also, to make sure that things will go according to the dayā€™s plans.

ā€œEvery morning, I come into our daily morning meeting with all of our staff. We talk about the guests, the culture of the hotel, our staff, and hospitality. Itā€™s very important way to start our day and a positive thing for our hotel moving forward,ā€ he said. Hoch strongly believes that these meetings help for a positive outlook on the day and brings everyone together.

ā€œMy day could start with interviews with local artists who want to put artwork on our walls. It could be a band that wants to perform in the bar area.ā€

He makes the point to gather artwork and performers from those in the Reading community, because he believes that itā€™s important to incorporate influence from those in the surrounding areas. At the hotel, they donā€™t ask for anything from the artist, he wants to make sure that theyā€™re getting the opportunity to be exposed by the public.

ā€œAll of the artwork on our walls and the bands that perform are local. We support the arts, locally,ā€ Dan said, showing off the different pieces of artwork that can be found on every wall of the hotel. ā€œOur hotel is filled with stories of great people, whether itā€™s our staff and where they come from or whether it be an artist that has found their passion for art late in life.ā€

Itā€™s important to management to support everyone. Whether itā€™s their employees or their guest, theyā€™re main goal is to make sure that everyone is having a great experience. Over the past two years, Hoch has recognized the hardships on his staff and their families.

The DoubleTree has a thrift store. This was up and running pre-pandemic, and the staff and the community can come in and look through if they cannot afford to buy new clothing. Most importantly, he emphasizes on the fact that everyone deserves a good meal, and his staff is always offered one every day.

ā€œWe feed our employees a meal every day in the cafeteria, because we know that people need a good meal. From management down to the dishwashers, we all eat a meal together,ā€ Hoch said, making note that itā€™s important to be one with your staff and make sure that everyone has a meal.

ā€œBut thereā€™s also a huge eviction problem thatā€™s happening. The real estate prices are skyrocketing and itā€™s affecting some of our staff. So, right now, weā€™re housing them to help them get back on their feet. We do this because our staff is our family, and itā€™s important to make sure that everyone is doing okay.ā€

Those who work in hospitality know that itā€™s important to make sure that everyone is taken care of. Theyā€™re the ones who are working through all the hardships and are happy to come to work because they know that theyā€™re going to be supported by management. Dan Hoch and the rest of the DoubleTree staff make sure of that.

Reading Science Center seeks to inspire children through interactive exhibits

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Children are the future of this world. They’re exposed to all of the wonders that life has to offer. From literature to science, kids develop their passions as they grow up and figure out what they want to do in the future. Their curiosity lets them explore different hobbies, but most importantly, it helps them build character and learn more about themselves.

At Reading Science Center, they encourage kids to learn about the sciences and how science impacts them. They use experimental STEM education to teach children all over the Reading community. Promoting different careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, encourages kids to think outside the box. This helps them understand that it’s okay to want to be in a career that has a shortage of workers.

Sitting down with Executive Director Lisa Meredith-Unrath, a Reading local, she had a lot of passion when talking about the Center. As the Executive Director, she pretty much runs the center. She’s in charge of doing the branding, making sure that the exhibits are up and running, scheduling volunteers, getting grants and finding donors.

“If there are any issues with the exhibits, it’s my job to make sure that they are solved and ready to be used for the kids,”Ā Lisa said while explaining the different tasks that she has to do in her position.

The Reading Science Center hosts a variety of different exhibits. “We have 45 exhibits that are hands-on that cover all the sciences, ages 2 through 8th grade,” Lisa explained when asked about the educational exhibits that the center provides for the kids. They vary from how synapse works in the brain to how the different weather patterns work.

Even with the many exhibits that they have to offer, they’re always looking for more to be constructed and donated to the non-profit.

“I look for people to build exhibits for us. We have things we call ‘cookbooks’ that we give to other organizations so that they can pick out one to build to donate to us,” said Lisa.

Besides having exhibits, they’re also involved with an outreach program with the local university. “We work with Alvernia University through the Holleran Center. We provide after-school programs to different elementary schools every week,” she explained.

Students from Alvernia work with the kids by doing numerous science experiments and learning more about the sciences. They go to the different elementary schools once every other week–they alternate between the schools–and go to the middle schools every week.

Another program they offer is called ‘Sisters in Stem’ which is funded by the Georgio Family Foundation. “It’s a three-year grant, providing exposure to women in sciences who are in the underrepresented demographic. There aren’t a lot of women represented in STEM, so this program brings in a scientist every Wednesday and they talk about their story, how they got to where they are, and what they do.”

The Center’s goal is to help young girls get involved with the sciences, and during this program, they get to learn from other female scientists and also, do an experiment with them. With women being in the underrepresented demographic, it’s especially crucial to have young girls learn about the variety of careers that can come from STEM. Science can be found in anything, you just have to find it.

Many different camps run throughout the year that allows kids to play, learn, and understand things about science. They get exposure at a young age so that they understand and learn from their experiences. These experiences can and will last a lifetime and help them with their future endeavors.

“Research shows that if you’re exposed to science at least three times between age 3 and grade 3, you’re more likely to choose a STEM career,” Lisa talked about the effects that science can have on kids after being exposed at a young age.

Learning about science is an essential part of this non-profit organization. They want to help teach kids all over Berks county and in the Reading community about the different things that it has to offer. They hope to leave an impression and allow kids to achieve their goals, and become whatever and whoever they want to be.

Wyomissing personal trainers say mental wellness key to achieving fitness goals

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How well do you know your personal trainer? I sat down with Jesse Hershey and Stefano Sarge, co-founders of Ampersand Integrative Wellness, a collective of healthcare practitioners with a focus on providing complete body and mind wellness services under one roof, to discuss what inspires them to help clients reach there fitness goals.

Mike: How did you get involved in personal training and how long have you been training?

Jesse & Stefano: We were both athletes and I think thatā€™s where our journeys both started. We both pushed our limits with exercise and sports and have a mutual respect for injuries through our own experiences with them. One big thing that we agree on is how important functional movement is. Injuries can happen and can appear random. But in our profession there are ways to evaluate and prevent injuries from happening in the first place. Injury is not something that can be completely avoided, but to have the ability to bounce back appropriately is another story.

Specific to Stefano, he has dealt with various health issues and watched his family suffer through them as well. He feels obligated to help others overcome these obstacles to live healthier lifestyles for themselves, their friends, and their loved ones. We both focus heavily on our relationships with our clients and their overall well-being. They come first. Not the workout, the programming, or the money. We have a combined 20+ years of experience between us and partnering together to help Berks County, one person at a time, was a no brainer!

Mike: What are your certifications, education, and specialties?

Stefano and Jesse: Jesse is a Certified Personal Trainers through ACE (CPT) and Stefano is a Certified Exercise Physiologist through ACSM (EP-C). We both are Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists (CSCS) through NSCA.

Jesse graduated from Penn State University (Main Campus) with a bachelorā€™s degree in Recreation, Park, Tourism, and Management and Stefano Graduated from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia with a Bachelorā€™s in Exercise Science and Wellness Management.

Jesse also holds a Level II Functional Movement Specialist certification, is a certified Titleist Performance Instructor, and holds a TRX certification. Stefano also holds a Level 4 Sports-Based Youth Development certification through Up2Us Sports. We both hold current CPR/AED certifications as well.

Mike: Where do you train?

Jesse and Stefano: We both train at and co-own Ampersand Integrative Wellness. Ampersand has presented so many opportunities beyond our wildest dreams and these opportunities directly spill over into value and overall quality of sessions when working with our clients. We are able to completely custom tailor all sessions from the session itself, the environment, and even down to the music and lighting for each specific client. Also, combining forces at Ampersand has offered so many benefits not only to us, but to our clients.

We offer a wide variety of services that are highlighted through our integrative program, if our clients choose to go that route. If you are interested in learning more about all of the services we have to offer (and this list is constantly growing), visit our website at ampersandintegrative.com.

Mike: Who is your target clientele?

Jesse & Stefano: This is a tough one, as the clients we train are so diverse and unique. Jesse and I have worked with clients as young as 5 years old to ninety-two years old. All with their own specific needs, goals, and medical history. Our ideal client is someone who is cleared by their healthcare practitioner to exercise, is motivated to make a lifestyle change, and looking to reclaim their abilities and/or learn new ones!

Weā€™re all about bringing happiness and joy back into our clientsā€™ lives through movement and reclaiming their independence. Empowerment, empowerment, empowerment. So if you are looking to grow and test your limits in a safe and effective way, we are here for you!

Mike: What is the biggest myth in fitness?

Jesse & Stefano: A big myth that we continuously encounter either online or even from new clients coming through our doors is that a well-rounded fitness routine is just about strengthening every muscle group and doing endless amounts of cardio/high intensity exercise. As you strengthen, your muscles contract and shorten, therefore we get tighter and tighter, limiting our mobility and ranges of motion. A well-rounded fitness routine does in fact consist of strength training, but also focusing on mobility, flexibility, stability, balance, posture, reversing muscle imbalances, improving movement quality, and cardiorespiratory fitness in harmony. This may seem like a lot or very complex, but that is where we come in to help design a specific program for you that will cover these various topics without taking up your entire day!

Mike: Where do you find motivation?

Jesse: I find a tremendous amount of motivation in the face of challenge and also when experiencing success. Whether it is my own, a clientā€™s, or through our business I can use these experiences to grow. The challenges I encounter offer a lot of ways to learn and by using this perspective I now invite the universe to send more to me. I will say sometimes it feels overwhelming at first and there are some you cannot solve, but growth always takes place, if you allow for it. And success is motivating because it is so rewarding. I love how it feels to accomplish something youā€™ve been working on in the short term or long term!

Stefano: I find motivation in my open and transparent relationships with my clients. We are honest with each other. If I have health complications or setbacks of my own, they know about it. I am not a perfectly healthy person just because I am a personal trainer. We are very realistic with each other and donā€™t set unrealistic expectations or try to be ā€œperfect.ā€ That is impossible and will lead to ingenuine relationships and foster a lack of integrity. The motivating part of this is when giving yourself GRACE. When you make a decision and feel like youā€™ve fallen off the wagon, break down the situation, reaccess, learn from it, integrate, and continue moving forward with your new found knowledge. By giving myself grace, I feel excited about my growth and what is to come vs. focusing on my failures, mistakes, and shortcomings.

Mike: What does your exercise program consist of?

Jesse: I have two disabilities that require physical therapy from time to time. Outside of PT I do strength work for every muscle 2 times a week on average. Strength is really important for my body because I am naturally very mobile. I should be doing more of it but that can be difficult because of my injuries. I spend a lot of time stretching, foam rolling, balance, and a lot of stability work. This is where most of my time is spent. These are the things that allow me to do strength training. I go for a lot of walks and hikes. I enjoy doing yoga and qigong. I also enjoy golf, snowboarding, and kayaking. I try to switch things up and enjoy being active.

Stefano: I typically try to get 3-4 days a week of strength training. I specifically work on building strength and stability while targeting my weaknesses and imbalances. I generally split my workouts by upper and lower body or will train anterior/posterior, aka muscle groups of the front or back of the body, depending on how packed my week is! Iā€™ve added in more cardio recently. A mixture of walking and running. Iā€™ve been working on walking my dog most days for about 15 minutes and then finding another time during the day to walk an additional 15-20. Some days I run as well as Iā€™ve been gearing up for a 5K. Walking and running has given me time with my thoughts, so itā€™s very meditative for me. Itā€™s great to break up times of the day where we are inactive, there are so many benefits to this!

I suggest individuals should work towards 150+ minutes of moderate intensity cardio exercise and 2 days of full body strength training a week to fight against preventable disease and certain kinds of cancer! Reference the work done by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Mike: Who do you admire or find inspirational in the fitness industry?

Jesse: I honestly do not follow anyone in the industry specifically. Iā€™m not very active on social media. I stay current in my certifications, so I do a lot of reading within those agencies, but itā€™s usually coming from different professionals. I learn from a lot of different sources. Iā€™d say I follow more professionals dealing with mental health and trauma because it helps me connect better with my clients, and that is what is most important to me.

Stefano: Heā€™s gone through so many different phases in his life since I started watching him on YouTube in high school, but I admire Elliot Hulse. He started out training out of a van at parks and other various locations to make ends meet while managing a family with very little income! Then progressed into owning his own facility down in Florida where he helped train athletes and naturally began mentoring them on questions about life and family that always seemed to come up. He then took a short break and went in a different direction exploring yoga, spirituality, deep dives in human potential, and other various things.

When he returned back to more of the training aspect, he integrated his findings and has become a stronger version of himself. I find it inspiring to look at his journey and look at our lives like phases. We are certain people during certain chapters of our lives. To grow and advance, we must adapt and sometimes let go of certain ā€œpersonas,ā€ traits, habits, and other things that may define us during that period. Donā€™t stay stuck!

Mike: What is one of your greatest client success stories?

Jesse: Itā€™s difficult for me to pick just one when Iā€™ve been doing this for over fifteen years. I have kids that started at a young age with me and never sustained significant injuries. That is a huge win for me, especially being an ex-athlete who has had many injuries. These injuries have cut my collegiate sports career short and still affect me to this day.

Through training, Iā€™ve also helped clients pass different physical tests that were required to advance in their careers! It felt really good to witness their success and be a part of their journey. I have helped clients get rid of certain chronic pains through the various modalities all while staying within my scope of practice. Seeing a client get back something theyā€™ve lost or seeing them gain new abilities theyā€™ve worked so hard to get are the greatest successes I get to witness and be a part of.

Stefano: My greatest client success stories go beyond losing body fat or gaining muscle mass. It is a story of growing mentally, physically, facing trauma, repairing relationships, creating a larger support system, finding joy and happiness in life, and overcoming the shackles of an addiction. Someone, who in the beginning of training, had the usual goal of, ā€œI would like to lose weight and get stronger.ā€

We made progress, but there was something missing. When I set one particular challenge for them, it could not be completed. They realized that there was a problem. We reframed the challenge more around awareness vs. something you can or cannot do. With this reframing they were able to feel like THEY were in control, not the activity.

Today, this person has lost over 10-15lbs, regained their balance and confidence, gained strength and muscle mass, and we continue to partner together to adjust their training so that I am just the guide while they are in the driver seat. This was an amazing learning experience for myself as well as I was able to recommend and incorporate other health and wellness professionals to assist in areas where I could not as a trainer.

West Reading coffee shop brews up a sense of community

Like many people, coffee is their go-to drink every morning. Walking into any coffee shop, being greeted by the fresh aroma of freshly brew coffee is the highlight of every morning. But what if you’re looking for a new coffee joint to check out? Instead of going to the typical chain coffee shops, you may find that there are hidden gems within the Reading area.

One of those hidden gems is Benchwarmers. This shop is located in West Reading, established and owned by Adam Kenderdine, a Berks County native. At Benchwarmers, they import and roast their coffee beans and make fresh donuts daily. “That’s what’s different about us from other coffee shops. We roast of our coffee beans and pretty much do everything by hand,” Adam Kenderdine said when asked about how his shop is different than most.

He came up with the idea of a coffee shop after he stopped drinking. “It was a hot day in July, and I’m watching the Phillies. I wanted something to drink, but I wasn’t going to drink any beer or soda. So I wanted to get coffee,” Adam said, talking about how he came up with the shop’s name.

“I walked around Citizens Bank Park for the whole game, trying to find a stand that had a cup of coffee. In a crowd of over 100,000 people, I couldn’t have been the only one. On the way home, I had an idea to put coffee stands in sports stadiums and call it ‘Benchwarmers’, right?”

But with the price to start one, he decided to take his idea and build up his company on his own. Atlas, Benchwarmers coffee was born and has been up and running for about 6 years. He kept the name because it resonates with people, and the customers seem to love his sports-themed coffee joint.

Benchwarmers does a lot for the Reading community. Adam is all about giving back to those who don’t have much. He donates to a charity called “Blankets for Hope”. This charity helps kids that are in the foster care system that do not have much that is their own. “Sometimes they don’t have anything but the clothes on their back. This charity provides a nice blanket, a bag to put it in, and then just regular essentials like deodorant, shampoo, and toiletries,” Adam said about Blankets of Hope.

“These kids aren’t in this situation by choice. By donating to this charity, it helps them in more ways than you would think.” This is one of the charities that he donates to–he also donates to Olivet Boys and Girls Club.

Before starting his trek in the coffee world, Adam went to college and graduated with a degree in History and a minor in Paralegal studies. He wanted to go to law school, but things didn’t work out that way.

So, as a hobby, Adam started to roast coffee and the rest is history. “Through a lot of trial and error, I figured out how to roast coffee on my own. I took an hour-long class one time to make basic coffee stuff but beyond that, it was just learning on my own,” Adam explained how he go into the coffee business.

He especially likes the creative aspect of coffee making. After asking him to explain the creative side. “I get to create something that people will like, and also, figuring out what people don’t like.” As he said, everything is about trial and error. Don’t let the failures stop you from achieving the greatness that you know you can.

So, what does the future look like for Benchwarmers? Well, he wants to have the business expand to other locations, at some point.

“There’s always a plan to grow and our plan is to grow, not expand the physical dimensions of the space. If we do, that’s great! But we’re looking to have more locations.” Slowly but surely, his business is turning into a family business as his fiancee works alongside him while they run the shop every day.

Penn State Berks Senior Spotlight: Bianca Ruiz

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Many returning adult learners credit their children as their motivation, and Bianca Marie Ruiz is no exception. A first-generation college student, mother of three, and now a graduate of the occupational therapy program at Penn State Berks, Ruiz and her fellow graduates will celebrated their achievements during the fall commencement ceremony, held December 15, 2021 at the Santander Arena.

Ruiz credits her daughter in particular as her inspiration for earning her degree. When her daughter was diagnosed with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a condition that affects many parts of the body, Ruiz was introduced to the world of occupational therapy.

Her daughter has been in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy since shortly after she was born, and it was through that experience that Ruiz found her new path.

ā€œI knew I wanted to attend Penn State,ā€ she recalled, ā€œbut I wanted to take it slowly. I started at Reading Area Community College, and they had a partnership with Lehigh Carbon Community College, but I wanted my degree to say ā€˜Penn State.ā€™ It was close to home, and Iā€™ve always had a respect for Penn State.ā€ Ruiz pursued her general education credits while attending RACC, and then transferred to Penn State Berks.

ā€œI got such a well-rounded education,ā€ Ruiz explained, reflecting on her time at Berks. ā€œMy professors have all been amazing and they all bring their own expertise ā€“ā€“ thatā€™s really whatā€™s going to help me. I feel ready. Theyā€™ve taught me enough, and I fully feel capable of stepping into this field because of them.ā€

As a part of one of two internships that she completed, Ruiz worked with Hope Rescue Mission, a menā€™s homeless shelter in the city of Reading, and was part of an effort to raise funds to install a stairlift.

She recalled the experience as a very positive one ā€“ā€“ a chance to try new things and to help others with new experiences. ā€œIn the end, the best part is helping people,ā€ Ruiz said. ā€œFrom person to person itā€™s so different but in the end itā€™s a good feeling to help people do something theyā€™ve never done, something that has an impact in their lives.ā€

After graduation, Ruiz says sheā€™s keeping her options open. ā€œBecause I wasnā€™t really clear what population I wanted to work with, Iā€™m open to anything. I like working with children, I like working with the community, so Iā€™m open to anything.ā€

Her dream job would be in community practice, and she would love the opportunity to once more work with Hope Rescue Mission to demonstrate the importance of occupational therapy in shelters once they achieve their goal of opening a womenā€™s and childrenā€™s shelter in the city of Reading.