MIDDLETOWN, PA- Penn State Harrisburg alumni, Kenton Alston obtained his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice in 2012. Alston is currently a full time juvenile probation officer in Dauphin County and a Battalion S-1 (First Lieutenant) in the Army National Guard. He has held this position for 3 years now along with serving in the military for a total of 11 years now (5 with the Marine Corps and 6 with the Army National Guard). Alston is also a varsity assistant coach at Bishop McDevitt and has coached AAU basketball for Central PA Elite for the last 2 years.
Alston currently resides in his hometown of Steelton with his fiancée Nikki Zangari, (Penn State Harrisburg Alum), and their four children, Kale, Cooper, Carson, and Kendall.
Alston was known for being a well-rounded student and overall good person. He played basketball for PSH along with running cross country. He was also a member of the Criminal Justice Club, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and Chi Gamma Iota Veterans Fraternity. His favorite place on campus was Stacks because to him it was an opportunity to interact with other students, eat a good meal, and work on school work if needed.
Looking back on his college career, Alston has encountered memorable experiences while being a student-athlete. "My most memorable experience is graduating and commissioning as an Army officer the same day! My most memorable moment of my athletic career was actually my very first collegiate game. I say that because that was the beginning of 4 years that I will never forget and I was blessed for the opportunity to be able to play college basketball definitely after my time on Active Duty," said Alston.
Alston believes that social media is an important societal issue facing college students today. "Since my time at Penn State Harrisburg, social media has evolved so much and is far different than it was a few years ago. Sometimes as young adults we don't realize what affect posting something on the internet can have. Whether it is Facebook or Twitter, young students definitely have to be conscious of what they post or what their activity is on these sites," said Alston.
If Alston had the chance to change society, he would like to change the amount of hate in the world. He believes that this is a major issue to tackle but with much effort from people throughout the world, this issue can change one day. "I know that is a major issue to tackle but being in the military and experiencing terrorism and things of that nature it's horrible to see people go through what they have to go through. There needs to be a little more appreciation for things in our world, we all take little things for granted. If each and every one of us made an effort each day to focus on what is important in our lives I think it would make a huge difference," said Alston.
Alston cites his mother as the most influential person in his life. "She is the reason I am where I am today and am the man I am today. She sacrificed so much for us to have the best even while being a single parent. I look up to her so much and I always tell myself that if I could be half the parent she is and have that work ethic and love that she possesses, I would make her proud," said Alston.
Kobe Bryant is Alston's favorite sports person. He has always admired his passion for the game and his strong work ethic. If Alston had the opportunity to give student-athletes advice, he would say the following: Never give up on a dream or goal you have because you can accomplish anything! People are always going to try to limit what you can do or create boundaries, but if you truly want something you can achieve it.
