Name: Karen Sones
Majors Advised: Criminology and Sociology
Hometown: Aaronsburg, PA
Educational Background:B.A. in Psychology with a Business/Liberal Arts minor from Penn State. M.Ed. in Counselor Education (Student Personnel Services) from Penn State. After a brief stint in the business world, I came back to Penn State because I missed the educational environment and the energy that students bring to the University. I worked full-time at Penn State (with both traditional-age and adult students) while I earned my master’s degree, taking one or two classes a semester. After working with students in the College of Education and in student affairs, I came to Liberal Arts as an adviser 17 years ago and have never looked back!
Something most students don’t know about you: I come from a musical family and started playing piano when I was 7 (and the clarinet when I was 9) and took lessons until I graduated from high school. As a child I didn’t always like to practice the piano and came up with numerous excuses to postpone practicing, but my mom’s rule was 30 minutes every day after school and 60 minutes a day during summers. Today, I can’t thank my mom enough for enforcing those rules–I love to play the piano when I have time, and I also play for Sunday services at my church and the occasional wedding. I love most styles of music other than country/western, but my favorites are classical, heavy metal, jazz, and Bollywood!
If you could do college over again: I loved my college experience, but there are a few things I would do differently. First, I would not have lived at home and commuted to school. Financially, it was the only way I could afford to attend college, but I missed out on a lot of the social experiences that students who live on campus/nearby could participate in. Second, I would have tried out for Blue Band! Since finances were an issue, it was difficult to be involved in extra-curricular activities that would take time away from my part-time jobs. And finally, I would have accepted the invitation to join the the honors college in my junior year. I didn’t have a good adviser in my major and no one ever explained the benefits of joining the honors college at that time. Thankfully, in my senior year I found an absolutely wonderful faculty member who became a mentor to me. I was able to work with her on her research projects during my final year, and even after I graduated we stayed in touch.
What you like most about your job: I love watching students grow and change from being a first year student through graduation. It’s so rewarding to see students become excited and passionate about what they are studying and learning, to watch them grow in self-confidence, and to become young professionals in their chosen field. Graduation is one of my most favorite times of the year because I get to meet all the family and friends who are so important to my students. Plus, everyone is so happy! I also enjoy seeing my students come back as alumni; catching up on their experiences since graduation and meeting their partners and children.