James McCarty - The Last Semester

To conclude the fall semester, I decided to attend graduation. There were many of my friends within the Applied Psychology major that walked across the stage, and it was really a life changing moment for me. It made me realize that I only had one semester left at Penn State Berks–one last semester of classes, one last semester of near and dear friends, one last semester of memories. I have taken a different approach to my last semester: I have been living life in overdrive for my past seven semesters, and I am really planning to take in as much as possible throughout my last semester. I have really alleviated my cluttered schedule to enjoy the limited time I have remaining.

This year has truly been a blessing to me. I applied to study abroad in Germany, and was selected to be a part of the trip. I went on the same trip last year, and had one of the best experiences of my life. We will be spending twenty-two days in southern Germany in different schools. We will be in different types of schools in different cities, which will include visiting Freiburg University in Freiburg, an elementary school in Melsungen (Christian-Bitter Schule), and a middle school in Hanau (Die HoheLandesSchule). We will also be visiting some of Germany’s most cultural antiquities, which include King Ludwig of Bavaria’s fairytale castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, as well as the Buchenwald Concentration Camp.

This will be a phenomenal experience, which will benefit me in numerous ways for my future. I hope to become a psychologist in a private practice, as well as a college professor. This experience will help to give me a more globalized outlook within the two fields I hope to work in. Even up through my last days as a Penn State Berks student, I will still be making memories that will last a lifetime! 

Darrell Marrow Bids a Fond Farewell to Berks

As I reflect on my time as a student at Penn State Berks, I am most grateful for the opportunities I received. I am now attending Penn State University Park, but Berks will always be home. It seems like just yesterday that the highly spirited Orientation Leaders were helping me move into the residence halls. Within the first few minutes of arriving to campus, I knew that the staff and faculty at Berks cared much about the success of their students. For five semesters Penn State Berks was a second home to me.

Darrell and his roommate Josh

Because Berks has fewer students than University Park, I was able to build strong relationships with other students and faculty members. Coming from a small high school–with a graduating class of fewer than 200 students–I was worried about the adjustment to college. I was surprised to discover than the classroom size was not overwhelming and that the learning atmosphere allowed students to participate in class without feeling pressured.

Darrell and fellow LA's Dayna and Josh

The great thing about Berks is that over time, I got to know many of my professors well from having had them in class previous semesters. My favorite professor, Dr. Kesha Morant Williams, Assistant Professor of Communication Arts & Sciences, played a large role in why I decided to major in Communication Arts & Sciences. Dr. Williams’ class allowed students to gain an understanding of various communication concepts through use of real life experiences; this was very helpful.

Darrell and Teri Sabatelli, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

Although I am happy here at U.P., I will always appreciate the values I gained as a student at Berks. Being told by faculty and staff that I will be missed at Berks validates the strong sense of community at the campus. I will miss most all of the amazing Lion Ambassadors (LAs). Being a part of an organization that dedicates its time to representing Penn State Berks was unlike anything I have ever experienced. The people I met as an LA quickly became family. We laughed and cried together, sharing memories and life experiences that strengthened our bond as a group. For this, and so much more, I thank the Lion Ambassadors and Teri Sabatelli, their adviser and Director of Admissions & Financial Aid. =)

Kate Harley - Trip to London with the International Finance Class

This past week has been pretty hectic so far!  In all, I have written an eight-page paper, done a lot of work for my risk management class, and am starting to prepare for finals week.  Tonight I am starting my final paper for my international finance class.  I am not too worried about that paper because it’s all about the trip to London I went on with my class over Thanksgiving Break. 

We visited Lloyd’s of London, the London Metal Exchange, Barclay’s, Sotheby’s, and so many more destinations! It was such an eye-opening experience and it really showed me all the different things I could do with my major after I graduate.  So you might be wondering how I got to go on this trip, or how a college student could afford a trip to London. 

This was the first year that the International Finance Class was lucky enough to have a trip like this.  Dr. Abdou set up so many wonderful visits for us to go on.  I cannot thank him enough for the amazing experience that this trip has given me, along with some new friends as well!  And how did I pay for this trip?  I was lucky enough to receive $1,200 in scholarships for a trip that only cost $1,500! 

Dr. Esqueda, Sr. Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, and his wife also joined us on the trip.  Dr. Esqueda studied in London, so it was great to have someone around that knew the area.  

Our flight was a little rough getting there, after it had been delayed and cancelled a couple times, but we finally got there, even though we were a day late.  During our free time in London we got to see Big Ben, the London Eye, the London Bridge, and so many other places.  I am a huge Harry Potter fan myself, so I made sure that I saved time to see a couple Harry Potter sites.  I got to see the theatre where all the movies premiered, a few areas from scenes in the movie, and my favorite platform 9 ¾! 

Overall it was an amazing trip and I thank Penn State for giving me this opportunity! 

Meet Kate Harley

My name is Kate Harley.  I am a junior at Penn State Berks majoring in Business with a focus in Finance. I am highly involved on campus, holding the position of Merchandise Chair for Berks THON, part of the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, the world's largest student-run philanthropy dedicated to supporting children with pediatric cancer and their families. I am also the Social Director for the Lion Ambassadors, a peer mentor, and an orientation leader. I played softball for Berks for two years, and I was also the Ice Hockey Manager.

James McCarty - Internships

Being an Applied Psychology major I feel will give me a huge benefit in finding a job for the future because of all of the internship experience I have/will gain throughout my college education. This past week really opened my eyes as to how beneficial it is to have good work experience, leadership characteristics, and most importantly the Penn State name backing me.

I have been in the process of looking for my last internship, and was interested in a local organization that specializes in working with geriatrics. I kept trying to get in contact with the head of the organization, and was not having any luck. Finally, after a few days I spoke with someone but it was not the director whom I was intending to speak to. This person told me that this site was not the best fit for what I was looking for, and that I should try somewhere else. Confused and peeved with what had happened I call the organization one more time. Luckily, I spoke with a lady and she told me to e-mail the director of operations, but she warned me that the likelihood of me obtaining a position was slim to none.

I sent out the e-mail, and to my surprise heard back very quickly and we set up an interview for the following day. I went into the interview and all seemed to go very well. At the conclusion, to my surprise, the Director of Operations said that he has never in his career taken any intern because he felt that they were all unqualified and weren’t there for the right reasons. However, he said that the only reason he considered me for an interview was because in the signature of my email he saw that I was a Penn State student. Then once we met, he was sold because of the leadership and experience I obtained throughout my education thus far. It was amazing to know that the sole reason for getting this internship for next semester was because of my experience I gained from Penn State, but also having that name to back me.  

Meet Justin Fiorillo

My name is Justin Fiorillo. I’m a freshman Kinesiology major at Penn State Berks. I want to get a degree in Kinesiology and one day become a personal trainer. My hobbies include exercise, playing video games, writing, and hanging out with my friends. I chose Penn State Berks because when I took a tour the first time, I fell in love with the campus, how it was set up, and the people here.

Meet Darrell Marrow

Open House, October 2012

Hello world! My name is Darrell Marrow, I’m a junior, Communication Arts & Sciences major here at Penn State Berks. I live in the residence halls, and I absolutely love it. I am involved a many different things on campus and because of this, I have got to meet so many other students. I am a Lion Ambassador, Orientation Leader assistant captain, peer mentor, multicultural mentor, teaching assistant, student library aid, and dedicated THONer (THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world which helps raise money for pediatric cancer treatment and supportive services for families). I was also a rider for the Penn State Berks Equestrian Team.

I am also an ASPIRE student. ASPIRE is an educational opportunity program that familiarizes incoming freshmen with the campus and available community resources. This past summer, I was able to work as a mentor for the ASPIRE program; assisting students in the same program that had a positive impact on my college success thus far.

THON 2012