SPRING 2008 Community College Magazine - Northampton ...

John Harrison ’08,
medical administrative assistant major
John Harrison grew up in rural Finesville, N.J., about a mile outside of
town. If he wanted to see friends, he had to walk or ride his bike. Over the
years, he drifted away from biking. But when he was in his late 20s, early
30s, he was drawn back to the two-wheeler, often riding a 20-mile loop
between Alpha, N.J., and Riegelsville, N.J.
Harrison, of Palmer Township, is now 51 and has returned to school
after losing his job at the paper mill where he had worked for 20 years. He
is studying to be a medical administrative assistant.
Although older than most students, he joined NCC’s cycling club,
and he not only participates in as many of its activities as he can but also
serves as its president. He rides whenever he can starting as soon as the
weather turns nice in March and continuing until November or the bitter
cold, whichever comes first.
Harrison lives a stone’s throw from the bike path in Palmer Township.
“That’s where I do most of my riding,” he says. If he feels like a change of
scenery, he will go to Hugh Moore Park in Easton or head west to Allentown
on the towpath. “The path is beautiful and peaceful along the river.
It’s a wonderful place to get away from the rat race for a while,”
Harrison says.
To celebrate his 51st birthday, this past summer, Harrison completed
a 51-mile ride.
It is not always easy for Harrison to ride long stretches as he has MS.
Sometimes, his feet fall asleep so he has to dismount and walk around until
he gets feeling back. He owns what he describes as a “cheapie” bike, none
of the bells and whistles except for an odometer that tells him how many
miles he has ridden and how many calories he has burned.
He doesn’t like hills. “Even as a kid,” he says, “I couldn’t make it up
the hills.”
This summer, he’s planning a 52-mile ride on his birthday. “I want to
do a mile for every year, just to prove that I can,” he says.
Stephen Heckler, ’09,
education major
Looking for Steve Heckler? Chances are you’ll find him enjoying “the
great outdoors.”
A native of Northeast Pennsylvania, Heckler has been a fan of hiking,
biking and camping ever since he was in the second grade and a fl yer went
around asking the boys if they wanted to join Scouts. Thinking it sounded
cool, he signed up, “and it sucked me in,” he says. His favorite activities
were those that took them into the woods, up and over trails, to see
magnificent sunsets and breathtaking views.
To this day, he hops on his mountain bike “every chance I possibly can”
and rides for miles. Add to that some kayaking, hiking and camping every
opportunity and, in good weather, Heckler is outdoors almost every day.
Over the years, Heckler has come face to face with quite a bit of
wildlife. He'll never forget one of his early camping trips when he and
his friends didn't listen to the scoutmaster and kept candy in a footlocker
in their tents. A raccoon found it and helped himself. The next morning,
Heckler and his friends found the poor animal dead, having suffered a
stroke from overeating.
Heckler says being outdoors is a great stress buster. “It's a lot
more peaceful when you're outside,” he says. “You don't have the
stresses that you would have if you were inside or near others.”
Also, he says, communing with nature makes him feel closer to God.
“It really does because you see all the wonders He has created.”
SPRING 2008 ● NCC 27