What year are you?
Former Senior
Where are you from?
State College, PA
How did you end up here at Penn State?
Growing up in State College, I was heavily influenced by all things Penn State - THON, creamery ice cream, and the great academics. Choosing a college was a no-brainer!
What is your Major? Minor? Why?
I majored in Chemistry and minored in Statistics. I always loved science and math in high school and wanted to work on solving some of our energy crisis issues. Now I'm going to Caltech to get a Ph.D. in chemistry and am working in a solar fuel lab this summer. If anyone has any tips on how to survive in hot weather, please let me know!
What are your hobbies and interests?
I spent a long time trying to come up with some crazy hobbies, but I really spend all my time with my Springfield family. Outside of that, I like running, cooking, and watching dumb TV shows.
What’s a fun fact about you?
I once accompanied Jodi Benson (Ariel, The Little Mermaid) on the flute live in concert.
Where do you hope to see yourself ten years from now?
Hopefully done with my Ph.D. and either working in a national lab or starting out as a professor.
What are you most proud of?
I had to write and defend a thesis this year and I never thought I would actually finish it...so definitely that!
Why did you decide to get involved with THON?
One of our family friends growing up was a Four Diamonds Family and I always was surrounded by THON so I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.
How did you end up joining Springfield?
I didn't join until my Sophomore year. Going to THON my Freshman year was an amazing experience, but I kept looking across the BJC to Springfield and noticing how much fun they were having. Once I started going to meetings and went on my first canning weekend, I knew these were the people that would define my college experience.
What is your favorite thing about Springfield?
Everything that Springfielders do truly is centered around our families. They are the reason Springfield exists and that's impossible to forget when you see the passion and dedication of our members.
What is your favorite Springfield memory?
I sat here for so long trying to choose just one memory that I'm afraid the survey is going to time out and I'm going to lose my responses. So I'm going to choose two:
I loved going to Hershey Park with the Schopfs this year. This was one of the first times we got to meet them and I had so much fun getting to play I Spy with Taiven while successfully avoiding going on a roller coaster (I'm terrified)! Unfortunately, I promised to go on a roller coaster this year, so we'll see how that goes...
I also loved our first meeting after winter break. We save all the THONvelopes received over break and open them as a group. Opening almost a thousand THONvelopes really puts our fundraising efforts in perspective and shows how far we've come since the fundraising window opened.
If you could describe Springfield in one word, what would it be?
Besides using family? Innovative. Our members come up with the most creative fundraising ideas and other events. I really have never been part of a more innovative group of people.
What impact has Springfield had on you and your college experience?
Every time I went through a hard semester, be it from school work or personal struggles, Springfield was there for me. I made my best friends from this club and they gave me that typical "college experience" you see in movies. Springfield challenged me mentally, emotionally, and physically (try keeping up with some of the dance moves other members in Springfield do while fundraising and you'll understand). For me, my time at Penn State and in Springfield are so intertwined that it's hard to imagine one without the other.
Why do you THON?
I THON for our four families and for all the families touched by cancer. I THON for more laughs, smiles, and memories.