Growing up watching the Nittany Lions, Liberal Arts sophomore Kate Burlingame often dreamed of one day becoming a Penn State alumna. Penn State’s location – Kate grew up in central Pennsylvania – and its strength in the humanities, her main area of interest, made the university a perfect fit for her. It was the Paterno Liberal Arts Undergraduate Fellows program, however, that Kate credits with inspiring her to reach her full potential.
The Fellows Program challenges interested Liberal Arts students to maintain a high grade point average, take numerous honors courses and ethics coursework, participate in relevant extracurricular activities, and develop their leadership and communication skills. Kate liked how the program was focused specifically on the liberal arts; she also liked knowing that meeting the goals of the program would be a challenge–but one fully within her grasp. “During my freshman year,” Kate says, “the program pushed me to take more honors classes and made me really focus on the quality of my work.” Her hard work paid off: at the end of her freshman year, Kate officially became a Paterno Fellow, concurrently gaining entrance to the Schreyer Honors College.
Kate chose one of her two majors, history, based on her positive experience in her high school history classes. “I’ve always loved ancient warfare and reading about the formation of powerful empires,” Kate explains. She added Classics and Mediterranean Studies as her second major after taking a few CAMS classes, including an inspirational honors course called Lands of the Bible. With only fifteen students in this course, Kate found it easy to participate and to get the most out of the questions posed by her professor. “I’m so glad I took the honors classes that the [PFP] program requires,” Kate said. “I’ve never felt so enlightened in my life.”
Arriving at Penn State with the notion that the size of the university might keep her from finding a niche socially, Kate happily discovered that she was mistaken. She joined an intramural soccer team and auditioned for the university’s jazz band, earning a spot as the piano player. Her recent volunteer experience, which she will likely continue next year, includes playing music for senior citizens at a local nursing home. “It’s a great experience because the senior citizens really get into the music,” Kate notes. “They are very appreciative of our taking the time to visit and share our music with them.”
Funding provided by the Paterno Fellows Program will help Kate fulfill her dream of studying abroad in Greece, an ideal location for someone with her academic interests. This experience will dovetail well with Kate’s long-term goals, which include graduate study in history or a related field. “I would love to oversee archeological digs, work in a prominent museum, and eventually teach at a major university like Penn State,” she says. In the interim, she hopes to focus on her coursework, start thinking about her thesis and other Fellows program requirements, and of course, simply enjoy being a student. “I’m not planning my life out just yet,” Kate says. “For now, I’m going to soak up as much knowledge as I can and enjoy the rest of my time at Penn State!”