University Park

Meet the Student Engagement Network summer 2018 intern cohort

Interns to help shape the future of student engagement at Penn State

Kyleigh Higie, Jon Westlake, Carmina Rogelio, and Molly Borowski, left to right, members of the Student Engagement Network's summer 2018 intern cohort, display their "find your why, start your journey" T-shirts. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Kyleigh Higie, Kelly McCready, Jacquelin Vera, Carmina Rogelio, Molly Borowski and Jon Westlake will represent the Student Engagement Network (SEN) in the Engagement Space in the HUB-Robeson Center at University Park for summer 2018.

Serving as ambassadors for student engagement, the interns will help fellow students find opportunities to broaden their learning experience, work with faculty to understand how they can become involved with engaged scholarship, and explain the value of student engagement to the wider Penn State community.

Chosen from a large applicant pool, the summer 2018 cohort of interns were ultimately selected for their involvement on campus and interest in student engagement.

Kyleigh Higie, graduate, class of 2018
Higie is a recent alumna of Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in supply chain and information systems and a minor in legal environment of business. She began her involvement with the Student Engagement Network by participating in an independent study course where she supported research efforts on the barriers to student involvement. During her senior year, she was involved in the University Park Undergraduate Association as the chair of the Student Life Committee and served as the vice president of membership for the Blue & White Society. She was active in the Penn State Alumni Association as a student and plans to stay involved in the association during the next phase of her life.

Kelly McCready, senior, class of 2019
McCready is a senior studying human development and family studies with a minor in child maltreatment and advocacy studies. Throughout her time at Penn State, McCready has been heavily involved as a THON volunteer, and she currently serves as the executive director for THON 2019. McCready also has been involved in Camp Kesem as a camp counselor, which is a camp for children affected by their parent’s cancer. She has served as the president of the Human Development and Family Studies Undergraduate Student Organization to help connect students with academic information and opportunities. She aspires to become a child life specialist in a children’s hospital in the future, and is volunteering at Penn State Children’s Hospital over the summer.

Jacquelin Vera, senior, class of 2019
Vera is a senior majoring in labor and employment relations. She helped found the Ecuadorian Student Association, a student organization that gathers Ecuadorian and non-Ecuadorian students to interact and gain insight into the culture and values in Ecuador. As an alumnus of Philadelphia Futures, a nonprofit organization in her hometown, Vera works actively with organizations around campus to ensure inclusiveness for first-year students. Philadelphia Futures helped Vera through the process of entering college and she strongly believes giving others guidance and a safe space is fundamental to a successful future. Throughout her years at Penn State, she has received several scholarships, including being a Lenfest Scholar. Vera joined the Student Engagement Network to help students turn their innovative ideas, projects and desires into reality. After graduation, she plans to begin her career in Miami.

Carmina Rogelio, senior, class of 2019
Rogelio is a senior majoring in psychology. Throughout her undergraduate career, she has sought out a number of diverse experiences. Her love for visual arts is evident, as she taught arts and crafts at a summer camp and worked at the Palmer Museum of Art. Additionally, she received first place for a creative piece that conceptualized her support for young girls pursuing STEM fields. Fostering an interest in science, Rogelio has assisted in neurobiology research under Lara LaDage, and she has helped students develop problem-solving skills as a learning assistant for Physics 251. She also has participated in a summer program at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, volunteered at the emergency department at Mount Nittany Medical Center, and volunteered at Centre Volunteers in Medicine, a free clinic in State College, which has further inspired her ambitions of a career in medicine. Over the summer, Rogelio looks forward to tackling materials challenges through polymer synthesis in an organic chemistry research group.

Molly Borowski, junior, class of 2020
Borowski is a junior majoring in supply chain management with a minor in international business. Borowski has been involved in a number of student clubs and organizations, such as the University Park Undergraduate Association, Penn State College Democrats, and Penn State Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. Most recently, she has become a Lion Ambassador where she communicates the University’s personality and history while instilling Penn State pride in current and future students, alumni and friends. Borowski believes in the power of engagement opportunities as they can help students grow socially, personally and academically. The next step in her journey is to travel to London to complete a study-abroad internship.

Jon Westlake, junior, class of 2021
Westlake is in his third year of the five-year Science BS/MBA program, where he will study biology for three years before matriculating into the Smeal College of Business for his final two years of study. Westlake has spent most of his time at Penn State working with Reflexion, a cognitive screening startup, where he handles marketing and business development tasks. As member of the Schreyer Honors College, he is currently working on his honors thesis in genetics. He has previously done research in the application of neuronal repair using in-vivo cell conversion therapy, and spent a portion of his freshman year doing biological field research in Costa Rica’s rainforests and tropical beaches. After Penn State, Westlake plans to attend medical school, which will allow him to combine his interests in science and passion for business to lead innovation in the surgical field.

The Engagement Space invites students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to actively search and contribute to the vast database of leadership opportunities available to students at the University. To learn more about the Student Engagement Network internship program, visit engage.psu.edu/students/internships.

The Student Engagement Network is a joint initiative between Undergraduate Education, Student Affairs, and Outreach and Online Education. The mission of the Student Engagement Network is to advance the power of participation by connecting students with experiences that empower them to make a positive impact as citizens and leaders of the world.

For more information about the Student Engagement Network, visit engage.psu.edu or email engage@psu.edu.

Last Updated June 25, 2018