Myron Hartman’s former students recall his “positive impact”

Myron Hartman was a respected biomed and businessman. He was a great family man and a Christian. He was also an outstanding educator who shaped the lives of future biomeds.

“After visiting several institutions offering a degree in biomedical engineering technology, I was instantly impressed with Penn State immediately after speaking with Myron. Myron’s impact on me as a student will forever be a positive one. He was a very detailed and extremely knowledgeable educator both in subject matter and life experiences,” former student Gregory Walker said.

“Myron would always go the extra mile to explain things using examples from his vast catalog of experiences,” Walker added.

“I was impressed with Myron’s love for the biomedical field and his ability to disseminate that wealth of information after meeting and consequently being a student in his class. I believe Myron was more than a teacher, he was a mentor, an example and most of all a very wise man. His impact both inside and out of the classroom is matchless,” Walker said. “Overall, Myron was a great teacher, mentor, and I am blessed and honored to be on the receiving side of such greatness.”

Former student Jason Brunner said he only knew Myron for two years, but that was long enough to leave a lasting impression.

“I first was introduced (to Myron) via the phone when I was thinking of joining the BET program. I could have not spoken to a kinder or more helpful individual. I finally got to meet Myron on the first day of class and he made me feel as if I had known him forever,” Brunner said.

“Myron was a gentle giant. He could be stern at times, but it was always for the betterment of the individual. Myron loved BET and teaching,” Brunner added. “You could tell that he was ‘at home’ in the classroom. Myron was accessible to his students 24/7 and with genuine concern.”

“The BET community and the Penn State family have lost an icon. Myron will be sorely missed by all that knew him. It was an honor to have met Myron and to have been taught by him,” Brunner said.

Another former student, Jacob Hetu, said Myron was unique and always went the extra mile.

“Myron was not like other teachers. Teaching wasn’t just a job to him; it was something he loved to do,” Hetu said. “He loved the field and as his student, you learned to love the field as well. He always tried to teach us everything he knew, whether it related to the subject material or not. No one minded having class with Myron.”

Myron brought his classes together and made sure education was fun.

“Between classes he would sit and talk with us and help us with homework, in his class or other classes,” Hetu added. “He was always fair even if his exams were hard. He never missed a chance to help us learn and master the lessons. He was always willing to lend a hand, and because of this, our class became close and we learned together from helping each other and had a fun time with Myron doing it.”

Hetu shared an example of how Myron went the “extra mile” when it came to teaching.

“Myron always went the extra mile, whether it was from teaching from the ICU, in class in a lazy boy when his health couldn’t permit him to stand, or from extra demonstrations with an electrosurgical unit and steak,” Hetu said. “Personally, Myron went the extra mile from the very second I was interested in the biomedical engineering technology program at Penn State. I went to school for mechanical engineering technology for a year and computer science for a semester at Penn State Behrend. I found that those fields were not for me so I returned home to New Kensington.”

“I emailed Myron over Christmas break about the program,” Hetu continued. “Immediately, he called me and wanted to meet with me in person at Penn State. I will always remember him opening the front door of the campus, taking me to the lab, and spending three-plus hours talking about the field, my interests and why he thought I would like it. Then, he pulled up my transcripts and said that he would make sure I was accepted to this campus and I could start in the spring and graduate on time. He even found courses at CCAC for me to ensure I would fit the schedule. This was all during his Christmas vacation as well.”

Myron was more than a teacher.

“To me, Myron was a teacher, a mentor, a friend, and a role model. He was someone I respected, and still do very much. He took me under his wing when I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life and gave me direction,” Hetu said. “My second year in the program I took a work study position. I would help Myron with papers, tests, setting the labs up, and whatever else he needed. I spent a lot of time with him at school between classes. The last half of the year he and I spent many hours extra a week cleaning out the labs and preparing for the renovations that were to happen over the summer. During this time we talked about things from hobbies, to jobs, to future plans, our families, and everything in between.”

“He was a mentor and role model to us all,” Hetu continued. “He took every opportunity to teach us. He would often go over the class time or off on a tangent about something he experienced in the field. He also taught us to be ethical and to be good, honest people. He also taught by example through his charity work and his many business ventures. He often talked about his faith and his family as well. You could tell how much he loved them. His family was the only thing he ever put before us, and even then he found extra time for us when he couldn’t help us or be with us.”

“If you ask anyone who had the honor to have him as a teacher, they will tell you that they owe their career to Myron’s lessons and guidance,” Hetu concludes. “He was truly a role model and a great man.”

This article was originally published on TechNation.