Liberal Arts Voices

Read the perspectives of our current students

Meet Jacqueline Ryan, Marshal for Communications Arts & Sciences

by

Jacqueline Ryan is the daughter of Dr. Joan Ryan of Wallingford, Pa.  She is graduating with a degree in Communication Arts and Sciences and minors in Geography and in Science, Society, and the Environment of Africa.   A published author, Jacqueline studied abroad in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, where she taught in local schools and assisted with field research.  She completed internships with Ross Feller Casey, LLP, and with U.S. Representative Joe Sestak.  Jacqueline was a member of the Campus Beyond Coal Campaign, the Liberal Arts Mentor Program, and the Communication Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Committee.  In the fall, Jacqueline will begin law school at Villanova.

Escorting Faculty Marshal:  Stephen Browne, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences

By Robin Robinson

Meet Charlee Redman, Marshal for French & Francophone Studies

by

Charlee Redman is the daughter of Nancy and Charles Redman of Bethlehem, Pa.  She is graduating with degrees in French and English and a minor in International Studies.  A Schreyer Scholar, she studied abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris and completed internships with the Penn State University Press, the Music Review Blog Initiative at WPSU, and with Awareness Audiobooks in Bethlehem.   Charlee served on the staff of Penn State’s Problem Child literary magazine and was a tutor for both Penn State’s Learning Center and the Volunteers in Public Schools Program.  After graduation, she plans to pursue a doctorate in English literature.  

Escorting Faculty Marshal:  Willa Silverman, Professor of French and Jewish Studies

By Robin Robinson

Meet Rachael Green, Marshal for English

by

Rachael Green is the daughter of Brian and Nancy Green of Ivyland, Pa.  A Schreyer Scholar, she is graduating with a degree in English.  Rachael studied abroad in Ireland, participated in research projects with faculty members, and completed an internship with the Center for American Literary Studies.  She was a SAT tutor/instructor, a blog writer for the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Studies Office, and a volunteer with Dance Marathon.  In the fall, Rachael plans to begin a graduate program at the University of Delaware. 

Escorting Faculty Marshal:  Sanford Schwartz, Associate Professor of English

By Robin Robinson

Meet Lauren Perrotti, Marshal for Spanish, Italian & Portuguese

by

Lauren Perrotti is the daughter of Maureen and Joe Perrotti of Springbrook, Pa.  A Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar, she is graduating with degrees in Spanish, Italian, and Global Studies and a minor in Linguistics.  Lauren studied abroad in Todi, Italy, and traveled to Granada, Spain, to collect data for her work with the Partnership for International Research and Education.  She was a research assistant for the Sony eReader Project and for the German Language Acquisition Lab.  Lauren was president of the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council, director of the Liberal Arts Envoys, and a member of the Liberal Arts Academic Integrity Committee and the Lion Ambassadors. In the fall, she plans to begin a graduate program in Spanish Linguistics.

Escorting Faculty Marshal:  Paola Giuli Dussias, Associate Professor of Spanish, Linguistics, and Psychology

By Robin Robinson

Ceremonies Set for Pioneer Fellows: Saturday, May 5

by

The first class of Paterno Fellows–the amazing “pioneer class”–will be honored at a special reception at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 5, the day of graduation.  All graduating Fellows are expected to come, and parents and family members will be invited too–as well as faculty advisers and thesis supervisors, university (and Schreyer Honors College) administrators, and other honored guests. 

Full details will be distributed in April. But graduating Fellows should know that Mrs. Sue Paterno is expected to attend in order to offer her congratulations, that the ceremony will also include comments from a Paterno Fellow (to be selected), and that Fellows will receive a special gift in recognition of their achievements.  The ceremony will take place on the lawn between Sparks Building and Burrowes Building, in front of the library.

Graduating Fellows should watch for a short questionnaire asking them to verify information to be included in the reception program.

Four More Paterno Fellows Complete Degrees

by

Our first class of Paterno Fellows–our “pioneer class”!–will be graduating in May, but I guess it’s no surprise that some have jumped the gun and graduated early.  With some amazing accomplishments.

We mentioned earlier that Kerri Jasinnas was the first to finish up, this past summer (see Penn State Live for details).
At the Schreyer Honors College medal ceremony on December 16, four more Fellows were honored on the occasion of their Penn State graduation:

Giulia Borriello graduated with honors in Psychology and a second major in Italian; her thesis, supervised by Professor Lynn Liben, was on “Parental Supports for the Development of Preschoolers’ Skills through Play.”  Her research was supported by a Discovery Grant last summer.

Kate Burlingame finished a semester early, so how did she manage to complete majors in History and in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies–and to do an interdisciplinary honors thesis (supervised by Professor Mark Munn) entitled “Forces of Destruction:  The Collapse of the Mediterranean Bronze Age”?

Jackie Gauthier, a shrewd linguist, majored in Spanish and in French and Francophone Studies and completed a thesis (supervised by Professor Nuria Sagarra) that touched on both languages: “Processing L2 Tense:  A Cross-Linguistic Investigation.”  L2 has to do with second-language learning.

Lisa Lotito, with a passion for philosophy and the cultures of the Middle East, completed multiple study-abroad ventures, several interconnected minors, and a major in History.  Her thesis topic, supervised by Professor Janina Safran, was “Freya Stark:  A Study of Travel, Gender, and Empire in the Middle East from 1932-1950.”

Congratulations to these outstanding Paterno Fellows!

Lasting Memento Department

by

A pin?  A statuette?  A fancy Something-or-Other?  Or what?

The benefit of being a Paterno Fellow is the experience, of course:  you are giving yourselves a superior educational experience that will serve you well for the rest of your lives.  The credential will be nice too–it’ll open many doors for you.  And if you’ve made it to “Fellows status” you’ve also got a nice PF “hoodie” to show for it too, the one you got at last January’s Recognition Ceremony (or that you will get this coming January, if you’ve recently been admitted to the program).

But what can we get for you to mark the occasion of your graduation as a Paterno Fellow?  As a Schreyer Scholar, you’ll be getting the SHC medal that goes to all Schreyer Scholars, but we want you to have a significant material item to mark your Paterno Fellows achievement too.

But what?  We are kicking some ideas around already and we have some pretty good notions–but I’d welcome your input too.  Any bright ideas?  Any think-outside-the-box notions?  Please do give me your thoughts about something that Paterno Fellows would truly value as a sign of their remarkable achievement.

Send suggestions to jls25@psu.edu.

Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 27

by

Episode 27 of Liberal Arts Voices is our “Commencement Special.” Outgoing Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council (LAUC) President Geoff Halberstadt and outgoing LAUC Vice President Amanda Craig join the program to discuss their undergraduate experiences in the College of the Liberal Arts as they prepare to graduate this upcoming Saturday (May 14, 2011).

This year, Amanda will be serving as the Sociology Department Marshal. In this podcast, Amanda and Geoff share their fondest memories of their time here at Penn State. They discuss their tenure in LAUC, the internships in which they participated, their most memorable classes, etc. Both graduating seniors talk about how their educational experiences in the College of the Liberal Arts were shaped by the relationships they made with fellow students, advisers, faculty and staff. 

The Liberal Arts Undergraduate Studies Office would like to thank Amanda and Geoff, and the other graduating members of LAUC for their dedication to the College and specifically to our unit’s social media initiative. We hope that CLA graduating seniors listen to this episode of Liberal Arts Voices and share some of your favorite Penn State memories!

For more information regarding the Spring 2011 College of the Liberal Arts Commencement Ceremony, please visit our website.  Best of luck to all graduating liberal arts majors and remember that you can keep in touch with the College of the Liberal Arts by subscribing to our blog, becoming our fan on Facebook, and following us on Twitter.

Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 27

To subscribe to Liberal Arts Voices through iTunes, click here.

We encourage all of our listeners to write to us with comments, questions, or suggestions at laus@la.psu.edu. We may even respond to these comments on the next episode of Liberal Arts Voices.

Dispatch from the Other Side: After Graduation Reflections

by


Graduation
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

I hope that finals treated everyone well. For the seniors who are graduating: Congratulations! It’s a great accomplishment. I hope that you remain involved in Penn State and work to give back some way to the undergraduates who are remaining and who have yet to enroll.

This issue of Dispatch from the Other Side is aimed at the students who have some more classes left at Penn State. If you’re planning on more classes over the summer or if you have a few years left ahead of you, I hope you can learn from some of my “classmates.” I recently ran across some information from a survey of recent graduates (all different types of universities and colleges throughout the country) that I thought might be useful. The survey attempted to measure the biggest (professional-related) regrets that recent graduates have regarding their time in school. I’m going to throw out a few of the numbers and a little bit of my analysis.

Over a quarter of the students surveyed said that they wish they had networked more prior to graduation. 18% of them said that they wish they had done more internships. I think that these two numbers illustrate the importance of taking a step back and learning about your surroundings. I wrote a while ago about leveraging connections at Penn State, and I think this data indicates that students wish they did more of that. At Penn State, you have some remarkable opportunities for networking and internships: just look at the alumni base around you and the wide array of internship/co-op assistance available to you.

26% of recent graduates wish they had applied to more jobs when they were in school. 26% also said they wish they’d started their job searches sooner. 12% said they wish they had spent more time on their application materials. These data seem to indicate that planning is critical. Getting an early start thinking about the kind of jobs you want to apply for and then identifying potential application opportunities (I recommend using the Nittany Lion Career Network for at least a glimpse at the variety that you have). If you start earlier, you’ll be able to apply for more jobs with greater depth and sophistication. Employers can tell if you spent a few days on the application materials or a few minutes. If you are graduating in May 2012, there are plenty of employers who would like to take your application in November 2011 and interview you sometime over the winter.

14% of students say they would have changed their major. 8% think they should have gone directly to graduate school. What these statistics tell me is that students really must take the time to think about what academic opportunities are right for them. If you are in the College of the Liberal Arts, you have an incredible selection of majors and an excellent set of advisors that can help you figure out what programs are right for you. You may decide to add a major outside of the College too – whatever you choose, just remember to think through your major(s) and how you want to structure your education. You will be glad that you put the thought into it. Consult with professors, advisors, and other members of your personal community to get as much information as possible.

What do you think of the numbers: do you think that they represent recent graduated you know? What kind of work have you done to put yourself in a better position and have fewer regrets once you graduate? If you have any questions, feel free to put them in the comments. And if you have a topic for me to write about in the future, I’m always open for suggestions in the comments or on Twitter.

Dispatch From the Other Side: A Look at Career Fairs

by

Photo Credit: Greg Grieco Welcome back to campus, Penn Staters. I hope that you all had relaxing breaks and that you are eagerly looking forward to an exciting Spring semester.

Now that we’re about a month away from Spring Career Days, I thought I’d contribute with some thoughts on the career fairs.

When it comes to career services, I think Penn State’s efforts are exceptional. I still recall touring schools back when I was in high school, and I was surprised by how much emphasis my Penn State tour guide put on the career services program for students (and alumni!). It’s a pretty unique feature, and one that Penn State is – and should be – proud of. Each Fall and Spring, the career services folks host a huge career fair with employers from many different industries. The fair is designed to appeal to underclass students looking for internships and seniors looking for full time positions, although not every employer will be looking for both. To get the most out of these events, I recommend taking the following basic steps:

  • Think about what types of employers you want to talk to. If you don’t have any interest in talking to a Marketing Research firm, then there’s no need to stop by that booth.
  • Do your homework: find out what employers will be attending, and make a list of some you definitely want to find. You probably won’t have time to see all the employers, so making a list that has the ones you definitely want to see can make your life less stressful.
  • Create a great looking resume. Then run it by someone else. Then take it to career services to have one of their professionals look over it (tip: check out “Resumania” on February 11). I don’t believe there can ever be a perfect resume, but with work you can make one that will cause you to stand out from the pack. There will be an upcoming post on resumes and cover letters, so keep your eyes open for that.
  • Prepare a short pitch about yourself. It can be pretty nerve-wracking to just walk up to a potential employer and start talking. If you have a prepared set of ideas to go over (don’t sound mechanical, but don’t go in without any plan), it will be easier to talk. Questions are important too – employers are usually happy to hear prospects asking specific questions about the firms and roles available. 
  • Schedule enough time to stay and walk around a little bit. The BJC is far away from many class buildings on campus, so make sure you factor in time to get there and back and make sure that you’re not rushed while you’re in there. The amount of time you will need depends on how many employers you intend to see.

My biggest tip of all would be: don’t let the career fairs distract you from other ways of meeting employers. The fairs are where many students go to meet many different employers – and sometimes, it’s easy for both sides to think that events like that are enough. But the smaller, less hectic options are great to explore, and some of them are cosponsored by the College. For example, you should check out the People-to-People Fair being planned for February.

I’m sure I’ll mention the career fairs again, but if you have specific questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. Questions in the comments section can be about the career fairs or any other topic, and you may always reach out to me on Twitter as well. If you have a topic you want me to write about next time, I’m happy to hear about it.

Photo Credit:Greg Grieco, 2007
Originally from Penn State Live
Skip to toolbar