Message from the Alumni Society Board President

June of 2018 marked the start of my first year as president of the Alumni Society Board of Directors. I am having a wonderful time as president and have enjoyed many opportunities to meet and interact with alumni from across the College.

In July of last year, I returned to campus to attend Penn State Arts Festival Alumni Weekend and to volunteer at the College’s welcome table, greeting alumni who returned to campus. Volunteer Ellen Freeman, a recent graduate of the Higher Education program, and I enjoyed engaging them in conversations about their experiences at Penn State and in the College.

September brought the new student celebration reception to the Chambers patio. While faculty served Berkey Creamery ice cream to the class of 2022, alumni volunteers engaged students in conversation and encouraged them to sign up to win one of 24 Blue & White Society memberships that were generously donated by Alumni Society Board members. Alumni Andrew Ahearn and Alexis DiDomenico had such a great time that they now mentor students as part of the College’s alumni-student mentoring program.

October saw not only Homecoming and the Alumni Society’s annual appearance in the parade, but also our Alumni Awards Dinner. I met Alumni Excellence honoree, Samuel B. Slike, who has spent his career working in the area of deaf education by improving teaching practices and access to higher education for students with disabilities.

The spring and summer of 2019 will bring a number of opportunities for alumni to return to campus including We Are Weekend and of course ArtsFest. I plan on returning to the College that always feels like home to me, and I hope to see you there!

Pamela Peter
(‘92 Behrend, ‘94 M.Ed. Edu)