UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The first stop in the 2019 City Lights Series is almost here.
As part of the Philadelphia event on March 26, Penn State alumni Abubakarr Fofanah and May Ayad will detail their journeys as immigrants, both to the United States and to Penn State.
Fofanah is the managing director of a digital marketing company whose mission is to help entrepreneurs and startups monetize and build online and social communities. He graduated from the Smeal College of Business in 2015
May was originally born in Alexandria, Egypt, though she spent the majority of her life in northwestern Pennsylvania. She started out at Penn State in 2012 as a political science major, but she ended up graduating in 2017 with a degree in graphic design. May now works as an associate media producer for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Washington, D.C., office and resides in Maryland with her husband.
For the Pittsburgh event on April 2, attendees will get to experience a unique program that takes a comprehensive look at mental health in the world of athletics, with guest speakers Carl Ohlson and Brendan Carr.
Ohlson, a 2006 alumnus, is assistant athletic director for Performance Psychology Services in Penn State Athletics, and he also has taught in Penn State’s higher education program. Prior to Penn State, he served in the U.S. Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. His final duty assignment was as associate professor and director of the Center for Enhanced Performance at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Carr is a staff psychologist at the counseling center at Penn State’s Counseling and Psychological Services. He serves as the primary mental health provider for Penn State athletics and makes up the clinical psychology component of the Sport Performance Team.
Doors open for each event at 6 p.m., followed by a set program from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., and conclude with a reception from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m.
For more information about each stop on the tour and to register, click on the links below.
Philadelphia: “Exploring Two Immigrant Journeys To Penn State”
Pittsburgh: “Mind, Body and Sport: Analyzing Mental Health in Athletics
New York City: “50 Years of Progress In The Pride Movement”
Washington, D.C.: “Striving Forward: Comparing the student experience at Historically Black Colleges & Universities to non-HBCUs”
Be sure to follow the Penn State Alumni Association on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to receive further City Lights updates and information.