UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts inducted 125 students as Paterno Fellows and Schreyer Scholars on Feb. 12 as part of an innovative landmark program offered jointly by the college and the Schreyer Honors College. In addition, the winners of the seventh annual Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest were recognized at the ceremony.
In addition to meeting the requirements of the Schreyer Honors College, Paterno Fellows have to fulfill additional expectations. The Paterno Fellows Program is designed to challenge students and to reward ability, creativity and commitment.
“On behalf of the College of the Liberal Arts, I’m thrilled, and proud, to recognize the newest Paterno Fellows,” said Jeremy Engels, Barry Director of the Paterno Fellows Program and associate professor of communication arts and sciences. “This is an impressive group of students with big ambitions who stand poised to change the world. I can’t wait to see what these future leaders accomplish.”
After their induction, Paterno Fellows continue to pursue key milestones, including a second major or enhanced minor, study abroad or internship experiences, community service, global awareness, and a senior thesis or creative project. In return, with the help of alumni support, the college provides funding for many of these opportunities and coordinates special events with distinguished visitors and liberal arts alumni.
Currently, there are 372 Paterno Fellows and 444 first-year and second-year students who aspire to become Paterno Fellows. Since 2008, when the program was launched, 698 students have graduated as fellows.
At the induction ceremony, the new fellows heard from recent fellow graduate Sophie Paolizzi. Paolizzi graduated in 2019 with a bachelor of arts in psychology and a minor in Italian, and she was named the psychology department student marshal. She played for the Penn State Women’s Ice Hockey Club for four years, where she also served as team captain in her senior year and THON chair for the team for three years. She served on the College of the Liberal Arts Academic Integrity Committee as well. She is currently a graduate student at Penn State working on her doctorate in clinical psychology.
The winners of the Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest were recognized, and the first-place winner, William McCarter, read his essay. The winning essays in response to the prompt, “What does it mean to live a life with honor(s)?” are being published online. Awards were presented to the following:
— First Place: “Honor from Augustine Onward” by McCarter. He is a junior Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar majoring in economics and classics and ancient Mediterranean studies, with minors in business and the liberal arts, history and health policy and administration.
— Second Place: “A Critique of Honor” by Tiffany Godley, a senior Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar majoring in English with minors in environmental inquiry and political science.
— Third Place: “Calm the Waters” by Taran Samarth, a first-year Paterno Fellow majoring in sociology and political science.
— Honorable Mention: “An Unconventional Perspective: Reevaluating an Honorable Life” by Nicole D’Amico, a sophomore Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar majoring in sociology and international politics.
— Honorable Mention: “Man of the Cloth” by Raymond L. Hoy, a senior Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar majoring in economics and community, environment, and development.
— Honorable Mention: “The Peace/Violence Paradox: Honor in Different Light(s)” by Sophia Wertz, a senior Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar majoring in economics and international politics.
Students interested in learning more about the Paterno Fellows Program and its requirements can visit http://www.la.psu.edu/current-students/undergraduate-students/paterno-fellows. Alumni interested in reading the stories of students in the Paterno Fellows Program and learning how to contribute to the program can visit https://fellows.la.psu.edu/.