Name: Mia Parise
Majors Advised: Political Science
International Politics
Social Data Analytics
Hometown: Scranton, PA
Educational Background:My undergraduate degree is from Penn State. I received a BFA in Theatre with a concentration in Stage Management. I also have a minor in Dance. After working in the industry for a short period of time, I returned to school and received a Master of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Scranton; I am certified to teach K-6 in PA and NJ.
Something most students don’t know about you: I have an extensive background in dance including Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Modern. I am a classically trained Ballet dancer and these days I enjoy teaching children and adults. I have performed in many Classical Ballets including over 100 performances of The Nutcracker. I have always had a knack for remembering choreography and during a snow storm half the cast couldn’t make it so I performed 5 different roles in one show!
If you could do college over again: If I could do college over again or at least give advice to my younger self, I would tell myself to slow down and enjoy all that college has to offer. I went through college at hyper speed and didn’t take advantage of all of the resources and opportunities that were available to me. If I could do it over again, I would study abroad at least once, as well as participate in an internship. Also, I would have made time to participate in the Dance team or some extracurricular sport. Though I loved my college experience, hindsight tells me that the real world would still have been waiting for me even if I slowed down and took time to engage in those opportunities; of course now I know they would have enhanced my experience and allowed me to enjoy it even more. I love that as an Academic Adviser I can use myself as an example to help encourage my students to explore all PSU has to offer and help to connect them with all the great opportunities out there!
What you like most about your job: I love that my job gives me the opportunity to meet new people and learn all about their interesting lives and goals. My students inspire me every day with their passions and impress me with their motivation, drive and their accomplishments. I feel lucky to be able to play a part in their journey’s and help them reach their academic goals.
Better Know an Adviser: Julianna Chaszar
Name: Julianna Chaszar
Majors Advised: Comparative Literature, French, Italian, Spanish, and Global & International Studies
Hometown: Indiana, PA
Educational Background:BA in International Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, with minors in Anthropology and German.
Ph.D. in Higher Education from Penn State.
I grew up in a university setting and knew I would be happy working in that environment. It is great to be surrounded by people who are curious about the world and love learning. My first advising job was during my doctoral studies, when I was hired by the Division of Undergraduate Studies at Penn State as a part-time summer adviser for first-year student orientation. I joined the DUS team again the following summer and realized that the practical work of helping students create schedules and begin to sort out their interests was a great fit for me. I joined Liberal Arts as a full time adviser in 2006 while I was finishing up my doctoral thesis and have been here ever since!
Something most students don’t know about you: I speak Hungarian fluently and lived in Budapest for three years before I started grad school.
If you could do college over again: I might have gone further from home for college instead of staying in my hometown, but my experience at IUP was very good. I was happy to stay with my family a bit longer, and I spent a year abroad during college, so I learned how to be independent too.
What you like most about your job: It is very rewarding when students leave my office feeling more knowledgeable or better equipped to handle a situation, whether that is knowing what classes to take next, planning a study abroad experience, or learning the first steps to explore possible career paths. It is not always possible to solve a problem completely or answer a question fully, but any time I can help students productively discuss issues they are facing, I feel that my time has been well spent.
Better Know an Adviser: Suzanne Decker
Name: Suzanne Decker
Majors Advised: Criminology and Sociology. BA and BS for each.
Hometown: Chicago
Educational Background:I started college at Miami University in Ohio. I finished with my masters degree here at Penn State. I fell into advising while working in the study abroad office at the University of Michigan.
Something most students don’t know about you: I once SCUBAed with an 8 foot black tip reef shark. I do not fear degree audits.
If you could do college over again: I didn’t learn how to study until about my junior year. Then it all became easier. I wish I had learned that earlier.
What you like most about your job: The constant change from day to day.
Studying Abroad in Italy? Prepare with ITL197A Italian Language and Survival Skills for Study Abroad!
Italian Language and Survival Skills For Study Abroad (ITL 197A) is a 3 credit course being offered next Fall 2015.
This course is designed for students with zero to little Italian skill who will be studying in Italy in the Spring.
You can read about how this course helped prepare Ashley Trovato, a student who is currently studying abroad in Perugia, Italy:
“I absolutely feel that Italian 197A was extremely helpful in preparing me for my time abroad here in Italy.I learned vocabulary and phrases that I use here in my every day conversations. Having a general knowledge and understanding of the language felt like I was a step ahead of the game and made the language barrier a lot less challenging and scary.”
The course will be MWF from 10:10am- 11:00am during Fall 2015!
Better Know an Adviser: Julie Willits
Name: Julie Willits
Majors Advised: Psychology majors and minors (previously served as adviser for 3 1/2 years in Sociology and Criminology)
Hometown: Jersey Shore, PA (not the beach, unfortunately – it is in central PA))
Educational Background:I attended Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. I earned my advanced degree at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA. I earned a Master of Science in Education with Pennsylvania certifications in Secondary School Counseling and School Psychology. Growing up, I always enjoyed helping people and listening when others needed to talk. Oftentimes my friends would turn to me to share problems, which meant that I was on the phone a lot! I worked as a school counselor with middle and high school students for 7 1/2 years before beginning my position as academic adviser. I was always interested in working with the college population and advising was the perfect fit for me, my skills, interests, and values.
Something most students don’t know about you: I love to ski, snowshoe, scrapbook, and read. When I was chaperoning a high school ski trip to Killington, VT about 14 years ago, I skied with the die hard skiers in wind chills that went to 30 degrees below 0 and it didn’t bother me. For someone who is almost always cold, that was a huge feat. I have done a few 5K’s, walking them mostly. My mom, sister, and I have walked our first half marathon in May 2014 and we are currently training to walk another half marathon this May. I have 2 kitties, Beanie and Papa Kitty. A very memorable college experience for me was during my junior year spring break when I visited my cousin who was living in Atlanta, GA at the time. On my Greyhound Bus ride home by myself, I got caught in a historic blizzard and it took 4 days to get home. Roads were closed and trains were shut down. Two of those nights were spent in a hotel with no luggage, only a carry on, because the bus company lost my luggage. I survived with $5 in my pocket and having to use my mom’s credit card for food and lodging.
If you could do college over again: I would have pursued an Education Abroad experience.. Going abroad would have been a great learning experience, both academically and personally. Exploring the possibility of doing a concurrent major in Sociology (instead of just the minor)was something else I wished I would have pursued, as I have strong interests in both Psychology and Sociology.
What you like most about your job: I enjoy seeing students grow each semester, working towards attaining their goals. I love to see students excited and passionate about their interests, wanting to do more to learn about all the possibilities for their future career interests.
Better Know an Adviser: Katelyn Perry
Name: Katelyn Perry
Majors Advised: Currently: Anthropology (ANTH) and Labor and Employment Relations (LER)
Previously: Criminology, Sociology, Economics, Psychology, Women’s Studies, English, and African and African American Studies
Hometown: Doylestown, PA
Educational Background:I’m a 3rd generation Penn Stater. My grandfather graduated from PSU in 1929 with a degree in chemistry. I didn’t inherit that science gene, though. I majored in English, and I have a graduate degree in Counseling. When I graduated from Penn State, I worked with mentally-challenged adults, and I had a part-time position at the Reading Area Community College in the Academic Programs and Student Development Office. I found incredible mentors there, and—with their support—I took on different positions, including teaching study skills, basic writing, and running ESL programs over the next seven years. I recognized that I wanted to work in a college setting at that point, and my mentors encouraged me to pursue a graduate degree. It took a lot of energy and a long time, but I eventually earned a Master of Science degree in Counseling.
Something most students don’t know about you: I have a terrible, terrible sense of direction (it might even be a learning disability of sorts), and I’m a very fast walker. So you might see me on campus—walking at top speed—with no idea where I’m going.
I lived in a small fishing town in Japan when I was 12, and I spent a year in Istanbul, Turkey after I graduated from high school.
Purple is my favorite color.
I have a “vagal” response to blood and surgical details—which basically means, I can’t handle blood, and I would be completely useless in any medical emergency. (Note to students: I have a No Bleeding Policy in my office)
I love music and need to be surrounded by it all the time—I would love to have a “soundtrack” for each day of my life.
My little boy taught me how to play chess recently, but he gets annoyed when we play because I have to talk myself through every move I make.
I love animals and I’m a vegetarian.
I changed my major 4 times as a Penn State student.
I get very attached to certain books and read them over and over.
I am not a fan of escalators. When I was a teenager, I fell down an escalator in a mall. It was a little traumatizing.
I’m left-handed.
If you could do college over again: Very definitely, I would have continued learning languages. I’m in awe of people who speak more than one language. I would have completed an internship to test out my interests, develop my professional network, and gain some practical experience. I would have taken more time to get to know my professors. And, surprisingly, I think I would have been less involved on campus. I was active in and held leadership positions in several student organizations—I remember being very stressed and busy.
What you like most about your job: There are so many things—I could write pages and pages. So, in order to avoid making you read a novel, I’ll list some adjectives and phrases to describe my job and work environment: energizing and exhausting at the same time, never boring, amazing students, rewarding, lots of problem-solving, an incredible boss, always changing, educational, fantastic colleagues and co-workers, challenging, fast-paced, and fun.
How to Succeed at Penn State Workshop Series is Back! First Workshop, Wed. January 21st!
Being an international student can be challenging, but the College of the Liberal Arts is here to support you and prepare you for a successful career!
With these goals in mind, the college has continued the How to Succeed at Penn State Workshop Series for the Spring Semester.
The first session is scheduled for Wednesday January 21st from 12:15 pm- 1:15 pm in 309 Sparks and will focus on internships and career development!
The spring semester has already started, and that means summer will be here before you know it! It is already time to start thinking about internships!
During this session you will get an introduction to the Career Enrichment Network, and learn why an internship is so important and how you can start applying! Other resources that the office offers will also be introduced such as, the Alumni- Mentor Program, Self-Assessments and Enrichment Funding!
Important Information Regarding Transfer Credits
Through Fall 2014, TMA 150 at BYU was evaluated as a direct equivalent for Penn State’s CAS 100 and M COM 320 at BYU was evaluated as a direct equivalent of ENGL 202D. The courses have been reevaluated, and NEITHER course is a direct equivalent for Penn State courses.
For students currently enrolled in TMA 150 or M COM 320 at BYU with the understanding that they would receive credit for either CAS 100 or ENGL 202D, these evaluations will stand through fall 2014. A student currently taking TMA 150 at BYU in Fall 2014 will still receive CAS 100 credit at Penn State if s/he completes the course by the end of Fall 2014. A student taking M COM 320 at BYU in Fall 2014 will receive ENGL 202D credit if s/he completes the course by the end of Fall 2014.
Beginning spring 2015, the new evaluations will take effect, and students will receive only general credits in CAS for both TMA 150 and M COM 320 from BYU.
Adviser Greg Nolan Shares Parting Advice
On my last day as an adviser with the College of the Liberal Arts, I am looking back over the past years and reflecting on all the interactions I have had with students. So many good conversations, a lot of fun times, some difficult ones too, but ultimately each moment was special and meaningful. It is my hope that I have been able to help students’ academic, personal, and professional growth and development throughout their time at Penn State, and it is my turn to offer one final piece of advice.
After meeting with thousands of students for a number of different reasons, I have come to realize that the best learning opportunities are those that were least expected (and sometimes the most difficult). Whether it is taking a course that you never would have expected to take, earning a ‘D’ on a paper for the first time in your life, joining a club or organization that you had never heard of, or getting busted for something and needing to go to a student conduct hearing – these are the stories I have heard and conversations I have had with students through which they have learned the most.
So while my last words of wisdom are not going to be to get yourself in trouble (although you will definitely learn a lot from that situation!), they are going to be to step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself to try something you otherwise wouldn’t. If you have never taken advantage of a professor’s office hours, stop by to say hi and chat about the course. Take a course in Religious Studies or Women’s Studies to fulfill your general education. Stop by the LGBT Resource Center to learn about the resources they have to offer. If you are thinking of studying abroad, challenge yourself to choose a location that you are less comfortable with. Join a club or organization that you have never heard of. Then, after you do this, meet with your adviser to discuss the situation, the opportunities you took advantage of, and what you have learned.
Ultimately, this will not only help to build your resume and make yourself more marketable in the future, but it will also facilitate your personal development. Hopefully this will allow you to reflect introspectively on your identities, take into consideration the diverse backgrounds from which we all come, and think more critically about current events in today’s society. So try something new, step outside your comfort zone, and take a risk! You won’t know how much you can learn until you try!
Wishing you all the best,
Greg
Considering Late Dropping a Course?
So, the regular period to drop or add a course from your schedule has expired and now you’re realizing that a course just isn’t for you. You may wonder what your options are and how they may affect you. First, you do have an option and it is called a “late drop”.
When you enroll at Penn State you receive 16 “late drop” credits over your tenure as a student. It is important you use those credits wisely because once they are gone you cannot receive more. The period to use them began September 4 and will be over November 14th.
Second, this option can affect you so as you consider whether using late drop credits is right for you, let me propose some thoughts.
1. What is your reason for considering the drop?
If it’s because you are having a difficult time with the course material, determine (using a degree audit in eLion) if this course is required for your major. If so, dropping may not be a good option, because you’ll be required to take this course again and the material will be the same. However, if you will be receiving a failing grade or will be receiving a lower grade than you want or need to meet a requirement, you may decide to late drop the class.
If the reason is that you have a heavy course load and this one class is particularly difficult but you foresee an upcoming semester where you can pair it with some less rigorous options, late dropping may be for you.
Many other reasons exist that may cause you to consider late dropping, such as: financial difficulty, personal/home obligations that are time-consuming and require you to have a lower credit load, realizing the course is not a requirement for you and this semester is more demanding than initially foreseen, etc. Any of these reasons should be weighed in light of the pros and cons discussed in this post and in consultation with an academic adviser.
2. How many “late-drop” credits do you have remaining?
If you are nearing the end of your 16 credits, look to the future. How many semesters do you have left? Could you use those remaining credits at another more critical point?
3. Will late dropping this course reduce your credit load below 12 credits?
If so you will no longer be a full-time student and this may impact your financial aid and/or your health insurance coverage. In this case, do not late-drop the course until speaking with the Office of Student Aid (814-865-6301) and checking with your health insurance carrier.
4. Is this course a prerequisite for future courses you need or desire to take?
If so, late-dropping this course could jeopardize your progress toward graduation and may not be right for you.
Now, I’m sure you’re asking “how exactly do I late-drop a course?”. Late dropping a course, once you’ve consulted with your adviser, is actually a very simple process. Log into your eLion account and use the Late Course Drop application prior to the November 14th deadline. Or, you can complete a Registration Drop/Add Form so that the drop can be processed by an adviser, the department offering the course, or the Registrar’s Office. Please keep in mind that you will be charged a $6 processing fee for every course you late drop.
If you read over this post and thought, “I guess late dropping is not right for me. What do I do now?” Consider talking to your professor for feedback and recommendations on how you can improve in the class. Consider attending a tutoring session with Penn State Learning and visit your adviser to discuss options. I also strongly encourage you to visit your adviser if you still need to clarify whether using late drop credits is best for you.
Katelyn Perry
Academic Adviser
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