LCCC to honor 2006 grad Bobby O'Gurek
Lehigh Carbon Community College will honor LCCC Class of 2006 alumnus Bobby O'Gurek with the "Spirit of the Cougar" Award for his perseverance, commitment and ability to overcome adversity.
O'Gurek lives with cerebral palsy, a debilitating disorder of movement. The presentation will be in conjunction with the "Meet the Cougars' Night" at the college's new site in Carbon County from 6 to 8 o'clock this evening in the west wing of Jim Thorpe Area High School, 1100 Center Street in Jim Thorpe.O'Gurek, 34, received similar laurels in March from the Panther Valley Irish-American Association which named him "Irishman of the Year" with the presentation of the organization's annual Shamrock Award.The son of Robert and Patricia O'Gurek, the Panther Valley High School graduate furthered his education with Lehigh Carbon Community College, earning LCCC's "Most Persistent Student Award" and his associate degree in web development in 2006.O'Gurek has served as an ambassador for the Prentke Romich Company, a consortium of companies working in the field of assistive technology and augmentative communication.O'Gurek travels to expositions across the state to speak about the communication device he uses to communicate with others and highlighting assistive technology.In 2007, he received the Edwin and Esther Prentke AAC Distinguished Lecture Award in Boston, presented annually to an individual who uses a communication device and is involved in the community.He has also addressed the Pittsburgh Employment Conference, hosted for speech pathologists and individuals with various disabilities, who use augmentative communication technologies.In 2010, he opened a website design business,
www.bobbyogurek.com.Despite his handicap, O'Gurek has become a familiar and valuable contributor to the daily lifeline of the Panther Valley region.For more information, contact LCCC's Office of College Relations at 610-799-1584 or