Campus News

Finding Love and Purpose at Juniata College

(Posted February 13, 2026)

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Jason and Loni Fournier have established a scholarship that reflects their combined interests  

An aerial view of Juniata College reveals white sidewalks curving and sometimes crossing throughout the campus. Like many Juniata alumni, the love story of Loni (Plocinski) Fournier ’02 and Jason Fournier ’02 began when their paths crossed at Juniata. She grew up in Williamsport, Pa., had attended a small high school, and saw Juniata College as a place where she wouldn’t get lost in the crowd. He came from Westport, Mass., was looking for a college with a good reputation in chemistry and was offered a generous scholarship by Juniata. Now married and living in Massachusetts, the couple recently created an annual scholarship to provide financial support for students who are passionate about environmental science and education.  

How did their paths converge once they were on campus? Loni and Jason’s paths may have first crossed at the information desk in Ellis Hall, where Loni (despite being on the shy side) worked answering incoming calls. Jason remembers meeting Loni while spending time with a friend who lived in TNT (Tussey and Terrace halls). They became good friends and their friendship blossomed into romance. 

Under the mentorship of former staff member Anthony Bichel, Jason worked in the Teaching and Learning Technology Center. It was a formative time for him, as he was directly involved with introducing technology into classrooms across campus. Jason’s experiences led him to transition from studying chemistry to combining business classes with communications and technology coursework to craft a degree in Digital Media Management. He was active in campus life as well, serving as a Student Ambassador, working as the general manager of the College’s radio station, and playing tuba in the Pep Band. Jason also had the opportunity to work on Brain Gain, a project sponsored by former governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge. These experiences directly relate to what Jason does now in the field of education technology. After graduating from Juniata in 2002, Jason worked for fifteen years on a variety of projects at Pearson and is now Senior Vice President for Product Management, AI Initiatives and Data at Imagine Learning. For Jason, the satisfaction and benefit of working in education is “that you teach people things that help improve their lives.”  

When she arrived on campus in the late 1990s, Loni thought she wanted to be an environmental scientist. She loved nature and hoped to “save the planet” but her studies moved away from the scientific when she encountered, as she humorously described it, the “buzzsaw of Dr. Reingold’s organic chemistry class.” She remembers receiving caring support from advisors and friends, who kept her from “flailing about” and guided her toward new interests in policy, law, and politics. During her time on campus, Loni participated in student government and the Juniata Activities Board and received the Unsung Hero award in 2002. She completed a master’s degree in environmental policy at Tufts University in 2012 and has lived her dream of saving the planet by focusing on land conservation. She currently works as a Land Protection Specialist for the Department of Conservation and Recreation in Massachusetts.  

The married alumni have supported Juniata College separately, and now together through this new scholarship. The Jason ’02 and Loni ’02 Fournier Annual Scholarship was created to support students studying environmental science or science education. In this way, the couple has conjoined their two passions while giving back in a way that directly supports current students.   

For further information on how you can create a scholarship or make an impact at Juniata, contact advancement@juniata.edu 

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.