Penn State New Kensington students who plan to transition to Penn State University Park are encouraged to attend a special program from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 29, in the HUB-Robeson Center at University Park.
The program, Link UP, provides an opportunity for first-year students to learn about Penn State resources, as well as the change-of-campus process. The itinerary includes academic college meetings and discussions about planning for a successful transition. The one-day event also provides an opportunity to meet other potential change-of-campus students.
In addition to students moving on to University Park, Link UP is a boon for all students interested in learning more about other Penn State campuses. The information and resource fair has representatives from all Penn State campuses.
“Link UP is a wonderful program that gives students the opportunity to explore all their options,” said Lauren Gigler, a graduate assistant in the Office of Student Affairs. “I took students to the event last year and heard nothing but good things from them about the experience.”
Two former participants from the New Kensington campus extolled the benefits of last year’s event. One is currently matriculating at University Park, and the other is heading there in the fall.
Vinnie Palombo, a sophomore engineering major, moved from the New Kensington campus to University Park this semester. The Monroeville native had kudos for Link UP as it was helpful in making the transition. He had the opportunity to explore and tour the University Park campus, which has nearly 47,000 students and 946 buildings. Palombo’s former campus had less than 800 students and 10 buildings.
“Unfortunately, once I got up here I forgot most of it and just knew general buildings and locations,” Palombo said with a laugh. “However, I did like that they took us into separate sessions according to majors and explained how it was at University Park. So the Link UP was a good learning experience.”
Another veteran of the Link UP program is New Kensington sophomore Corey Bobak. The business major from Greensburg will make the trek to State College in the fall. The reputation of the Smeal College of Business drew Bobak to Penn State in the first place, so he enjoyed mingling with fellow business students and faculty during the program.
“When a Smeal professor came in and gave a small lecture to the group, I realized that I wanted to be at University Park,” said Bobak, who played on the campus golf team as a freshman. “It was also nice to hear from Smeal students who talked about internships and how one just got back from an interview with the New York Yankees.”
The New Kensington campus will sponsor a bus trip to the event. The bus departs the campus at 7:30 a.m. and returns at 7:30 p.m. There is no cost for the bus service. A $10 deposit is required when registering and will be returned when students board the bus. The deadline is to register is Feb. 28. To reserve a spot, call 724-334-6062 or contact Gigler at leg16@psu.edu.
For more about Link UP, visit https://orientation.psu.edu/linkup.