Be Your Own Definition of Success.

Most students are forced to believe that they need to pursue a career in STEM fields to be successful. Some are even forced to believe that their academic scores determine their value. I happen to disagree, and I hope to continue to meet individuals from various backgrounds who are successful in areas and fields outside of STEM fields. They exist. We have to showcase their talents and abilities to the point where it cannot be ignored or denied anymore. We need to let our children, our students, define for themselves what it means to be successful.

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IM Match

Most claim that the Pennsylvania State University is best known for its college football team, its creamery, and its Intramural Sports Department. It’s true that the Intramural Sports Department is as popular as students claim it to be, as there are numerous students outside of the gymnasium who are waiting to join or watch a match each night that there is a tournament. The opening night of the school year is no exception. 

A cool breeze sweeps past me, lifting several stray stands of damp hair at my temples as I stand outside the gymnasium at the Pennsylvania State University. A wave of heat surrounds me the second I enter inside of the gymnasium. As I scan the brightly lit room, I hear several referees calling out to one another and laughing as they test out the new whistles they’d gotten for the new sports season. Three referees walk past, each with several bundles of nets, scoreboards, and clipboards in their arms. They smile and nod welcomingly at the gaggle of students warming up in the gymnasium. Each individual on the teams scattered throughout the gymnasium looks delighted to be there, laughing and cheering each other on and exchanging high fives every once in a while. Even the referees are watching the teams practice with amusement and happiness glimmering in each of their faces. 

When a match is called for on a court, two referees call forth the captains of the opposing teams and explain the rules to them quickly. The look of excitement on their faces is now gone, and both referees and captains appear to become extremely focused on one another. Once the rules have been explained to the captains of the opposing teams, the captains then hurry back to their teams and wait for the referees to start the match. 

Just like that, the look of thrill is back on their faces as players run and strategize with one another to score a goal for their team. Both referees and the members of the teams look thrilled to be there, laughing and cheering each other on loudly. Soon, the referees start to penalize several members of the teams for mistakes or fouls, and so the penalized members sit by the sidelines to cheer on and encourage their teammates. It’s clear that several of these penalized members are frustrated, as they watch the match(es) with aggravated expressions and argue with the referees on their calls. However, when the winner between the two teams is determined, and the match is officially drawn to an end, both teams exchange friendly congratulations with one another and leave the gymnasium with smiles and sweat on their foreheads. 

The night certainly may or may not have gone how some of the athletes had planned for it to have gone, but everyone involved in the matches appeared to have left in a good mood. This is how the Intramural Sports Department has presumably earned its reputation and name.

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THON Meeting

Over 700 Penn State student volunteers work in the name of the student-run philanthropy, THON, to raise benefits for those affected by childhood cancer. Their yearlong efforts culminate in a 46 hour dance marathon held every February, and while the event is held at Penn State’s main campus, student volunteers from all of the branch campuses still volunteer and participate in the event. Penn State Harrisburg is no exception to this. 

On November 14, 2019, the leaders of the club met with their members to discuss the various events that would take place on campus the following week.

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President Trump in Hershey

Soon after House Democrats revealed that they were readying themselves to vote on articles of impeachment related to his case, wherein he was charged with the abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, President Donald Trump gave a speech at one of his campaign rallies on December 10, 2019, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. 

Over the course of his 90 minute performance, Trump insulted numerous law enforcement officials and protestors, made misogynistic statements, and failed to provide factual evidence for several of his questionable remarks. It was certainly one of his most troubling rallies yet.

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Nicole Wang.

Nicole Wang is a sophomore from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is of Chinese and Polish descent. While she does not have any other siblings, Nicole is very close with her friends on campus. She is also very close with her father, who is a businessman in the robotics industry. Until she was in middle school, Nicole was homeschooled so that she could attend business conferences and travel around the world with her father. She has been to over 14 countries. She plans to take her college classes online through World Campus next year in the fall, so that she has more free time to attend conferences and travel with her father. When asked, Nicole stated that home for her is wherever she is at the moment. She is currently in Middletown, Pennsylvania, so that is home for her now. It’s clear that Nicole is her own definition of success, and she understands this well. She is unapologetically herself in all that she does, and is unafraid to pursue her passions, wherever they might lie at the moment. 

Nicole attended her first Penn State game this year!

Nicole is a Business major at Penn State. She is also the President of the Business Marketing Club at Penn State Harrisburg. Her father currently works in the robotics industry as a businessman, and she hopes to follow in his footsteps. 

Nicole attended a Penn State sponsored event with her friends this fall. She even dressed in traditional attire!

Nicole visited Vermont with her family and a few of her friends last year. She loves winter sports, such as ice skating, skiing, and snowboarding. She was a competitive figure skater until she left for college. 

Nicole attended a work conference with her father in Nanjing, China, this past summer. She met up with her friends who happened to be in the area and/or visiting neighboring countries, such as Japan and Korea. She has visited over ten countries, and she would love to continue to visit more in the future. She would love to visit Australia and Korea next. 

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It is crucial that college students take time outside of their classes to familiarize themselves with one another and build real world connections in their career field. However, this is a challenge for most Penn State students; due to the fact that some students do not have access to a mode of transportation to meet with one another, it can be (even more) difficult to build connections on a large college campus, such as the one at Penn State. 

 Giovanna Ciavaglia is a student at one of the Penn State branch campuses. She was born and raised in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, but moved to Middletown, Pennsylvania to attend Penn State Harrisburg as a full-time student. Some of her favorite pastimes include: reading, watching Netflix shows, growing various plants, and yoga. She is also an athlete, as she has been a member of an ice hockey team since she was in middle school. 

She plans to graduate from Penn State Harrisburg with a degree in communications and find a career in New York City or Washington D.C. She had originally planned to enroll in a college in either of the two cities, but her parents felt that it was too dangerous for her to do so. She compromised with her parents and enrolled at Penn State Harrisburg, which she felt was close enough to Harrisburg, the city capital of Pennsylvania. She loves to travel and has visited California, Tennessee, and the various islands in the Bahamas. 

She revealed that she admires and idolizes Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States of America. She elaborated on how Obama moved students to continue their education and attended events and rallies in favor of women empowerment. She aims to have a similar influence on other individuals and utilize her skills as a writer as a tool to do so. 

“I originally wanted to go to NYU (New York University), but I’m really glad that I chose to come to Penn State. It’s a big school, but it has a lot to offer you. I would really recommend for graduating (high school) seniors to consider coming here. You won’t regret making the decision to come to Penn State,” Giovanna said.

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