Brandywine

Road to Commencement: Eliska Nerudova

Eliska Nerudova will receive her bachelor of science degree in psychology with the business option at Brandywine’s upcoming spring commencement ceremony.  Credit: courtesy of Eliska NerudovaAll Rights Reserved.

Name: Eliska Nerudova
Major: Psychology with a business option
Graduation Date: May 8, 2021

Eliska Nerudova, an international student from the Czech Republic who will receive her bachelor of science degree in psychology with the business option at Penn State Brandywine’s spring commencement ceremony on May 8, reflects on her time as a student at Brandywine.

Nerudova:  I came to the United States as an au pair when I was 18 years old. I studied my first two years at a community college in New Jersey. After I finished my associate degree in psychology, I wanted to stay in the Philadelphia area, and I found Penn State Brandywine to be the best school around which has a good reputation and is also well-known in my home country.

Compared to my first two years of college education, I felt like I am a part of a community at Penn State Brandywine despite being an international student. I discovered that aside from studying, I can have fun on campus, connect with other students, be part of clubs, and attend events. Currently, I am president of the Psychology Club and was a teaching assistant with Dr. Marquit for two consecutive semesters. I never expected myself to become a president of a club as well as a teaching assistant, considering coming from a different country and learning everything in a second language, but it was an amazing experience that will last a lifetime.

In my senior year, I completed research looking at the predictors of job satisfaction of individuals working in corporations within the United States. Dr. Marquit gave me this opportunity to do research under his supervision on which we have been working since the summer 2020 semester until now. With my research, I just recently won a second place at EURECA which made me very happy to see that other members of the scientific community recognized my hard work.

I was surprised how friendly students and professors at Penn State are. I found everybody at Brandywine to be welcoming and supportive. In particular, I would very much like to thank Dr. Marquit and Dr. Martin for always being there for me and helping me to excel with my education and professional life.

My college experience was nothing like what I expected it to be. In the Czech Republic, college studies are very different. I was surprised that I can make my own schedule and choose my own classes which is something that I would not be able do in Czech. I also appreciated how much equipment and resources Penn State provides for its students, so that they can feel valued and encouraged in their studies.

Professors at Penn State want students to excel and to be successful in their academic endeavors. This is something that made me to want to be here and stay here. Being a part of the Penn State community felt like being a part of a family.

After graduation, I am exploring two options. Ideally, I would like to start working in the United States if possible, but I am also looking at graduate programs as a second option. If I shall go to a grad school, I would like to either pursue an MBA or an HR program, and may continue with my graduate studies at Penn State.

Last Updated May 5, 2021

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