Editor's Note: This story originally appeared in AlumnInsider, the Penn State Alumni Association's monthly member e-newsletter. You can click here for information on becoming a member, and can follow the Alumni Association on Facebook and Twitter for more stories and updates on events.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- All eyes in the Bryce Jordan Center (BJC) are on Kevin Montminy.
The Penn State senior guard and Schreyer Honors Scholar has captured everyone's attention, with all the youngsters in attendance looking on with captivated eyes.
Montminy is in his environment, literally and figuratively, as he strolls along the edges of the BJC court on Saturday, Jan. 24, and shares his insight with Penns Valley Area School District students.
And, as usual, Montminy is making an impact.
The students and their families have gathered near the basket opposite the side where the Penn State Marching Blue Band plays during games, and they and Montminy have the arena to themselves.
The day has been declared “Penns Valley Day,” coinciding with Alumni Day at the BJC, where the men's basketball team plays, and has attracted a healthy crowd from a nearby area.
Montminy addresses his audience with a comfortable demeanor that’s approachable while simultaneously commanding. He’s not speaking to anyone as much as he’s simply sharing advice, and part of that reason is because, as he said about a week later, he’s been in the students’ position before -- Montminy grew up about 20 minutes from the University Park campus and attended Penns Valley.
There are three key points that Montminy highlights, as he talks about his background, his journey to Penn State and how he’s maximized his time as a Nittany Lion:
— Acknowledge and be grateful for the support you receive.
— See value in hard work.
— Recognize the people who came before you.
All of this is taking place about 30 minutes after Penn State dispatched Rutgers University on the court. It’s Saturday afternoon, and while nearly everyone else has left with the rest of the day ahead of them, Montminy still has more on his agenda and will sign autographs after speaking.
But he doesn’t mind.
“I would have been there for hours, if they needed me,” he said.
That type of selflessness has made Montminy a team and crowd favorite and explains why head coach Patrick Chambers speaks so positively of the Centre Hall native. For proof, here’s a GoPSUsports.com story in which Chambers gushes about Montminy, calling him “a great human being to have a part of the program.”