Humans of State College

Sabrina Han, a freshman at Penn State, likes to spend her free-time on campus helping an organization called LifeLink. It is a partnership between Penn State University and the State College School District for students aged 18 to 21 with special needs. These students complete classes and coursework at the university and Penn State students can volunteer as mentors and work with them.

The time commitment for volunteering with LifeLink is very flexible. Mentors are able to volunteer as little or as much as they would like every Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. “I volunteer on Fridays from 10 AM until noon,” Han said. “I work with a boy named William who actually just graduated [April 26th]”.

“From 10 to 11 he reads the newspaper and catches up on current events, and I work with him during that time. From 11 AM to 12 PM every day, all of the students, mentors, and interns eat lunch in the HUB,” Han said. According to her, there are some Penn State students who aren’t able to make a full-time commitment on either a daily or weekly basis to volunteer. Therefore, they can take the time to go eat lunch and interact with the students whenever they can.

“I volunteer with LifeLink because I enjoy doing so, and also for the experience.” Han said. “I’m majoring in Rehabilitation and Human Services, minoring in Special Education, and hopefully will work in Occupational Therapy.”

Han says that for other students that are interested, all hours are logged so that they can be used as service or volunteer hours for certain programs.

Volunteering with LifeLink is not only providing an experience for a field she would like to go into, she’s also been participating in programs that work with children with special needs since she was in elementary school. “When I was in second grade, I was chosen with four other students to stay inside during recess once a week. We would hang out with a boy named Carlos who had autism.”

“In fifth grade, I helped out with a different program. I was partnered with a girl named Phoenix, who was autistic, and I’ve worked with her throughout all of fifth grade. Since then, I’ve wanted to do something with Special Education.” Han said.

“My senior year in high school a did a program called Peer Tutoring. I worked with a girl named Catherine and went to her gym and health classes with her throughout the whole year. I worked with her to adapt her assignments to her abilities, and helped to foster social interactions with her classmates as well,” said Han.

Any student who is considering joining LifeLink should know that they can volunteer for any amount of time they want, and it doesn’t matter which major they are studying. Students can go to their office at HUB 304 to schedule a time to start volunteering. More information is available on their website at https://lifelinkpsu.weebly.com

 

Sabrina Han is a freshman and Rehabilitation and Human Services major and Special Education Minor at Penn State University.

Talking with Emily Johnson, she seems very confident with who she is and lives her life unhindered by the judgement and expectations of others. However, it wasn’t always that way, and at one point in her life she struggled with self-acceptance and insecurities.

“I dealt with depression, I was insecure, and I had a very bad self-image.” Johnson said. “My lowest point was probably in my freshman year of high school. I made a lot of friends who were similarly in dark situations, and I made a lot of bad decisions.”

“I think a lot of it stemmed from the fact that people didn’t really like me.” Johnson said. “I used to be very shy as a child, and I got a lot of my social skills from functions that my parents dragged me too. The kids my age thought I was weird because I had a mature, precise way of speaking that I learned from talking to older people.”

Johnson said that life in middle school was tough for her; she said she was considered an outsider and didn’t have many good friends. “It escalated and got even worse in high school, and I got to the point where my parents made me go to therapy. They really helped me to change and help me get my life back on track.”

She went to therapy for about five years, said that she really hated going at first. “It’s actually so painful to learn to accept yourself and all of your flaws, but learning to love myself wasn’t something I could have done on my own.”

“I learned a lot of life lessons. One of the things she taught me was boundaries. I set boundaries, and when other people say things about me, I don’t have to let it get past my wall. If I don’t like it, I can take it outside of that boundary.”

Johnson says that she enjoys helping others, and feels comfortable sharing her pitfalls and struggles. “At that point in my life, I didn’t have anyone to confide in. Now, I always try to be there for others because I know how difficult it is. I like helping others because I wish I had that support at that point in my life. One random act of kindness can completely turn someone’s life around,”

Johnson says that her past makes her more appreciative of what she’s come to achieve. “Not everyone has had the chance to come back from what I did,” she said. “I feel incredibly fortunate.”

 

Emily Johnson is a freshman and Biology Major at Penn State University.

Mary Holdsman, a junior at Penn State, has been making a difference in the community. She volunteers with an organization called Harmony, which helps to put on plays with children and young adults with special needs. As stated on their website, the organization aims to “build relationships, promote inclusion, develop emotional awareness, and improve communication and self-expression.”

“After I found out about it, I went to the play Annie at the end of the semester in the Hub, and it was so heartwarming.” Holdsman said. “I decided I wanted to join after that so last semester I did, and we put on The Little Mermaid. This semester we are practicing for the Wizard of Oz!”

Holdsman values the experience because she is minoring in Special Education and says that she enjoys volunteering with Harmony very much. “Every individual involved with Harmony has such a special heart, and no matter how stressed I am or how busy my week is, the hour spent at Harmony brightens my day and makes me so happy!”

Holdsman’s involvement with Harmony eventually led her also volunteer with Night to Shine, which provides a prom experience for people with special needs ages 14 and up. On February 9^th 2018, Holdsman was paired with a teenage boy for the night, and at the prom, they danced, watched karaoke, got a flower, took a limo ride and even more. In the meantime, parents of the participants are able to relax and get pampered by other volunteers. “At the end of the night, his parents told me they had driven an hour and a half for this experience and were so grateful for the help I had been,” she said.

“Honestly, in these volunteer positions, we make so much more of an impact than we realize,” Holdsman remarks. “We are there having fun spending time with the students, children, young adults, and families and vice versa. However, the unexpected tears, hugs, endless laughs and “thank yous” from the families show how grateful they are and how much of an impact we really do make in their lives!”

“There are so many ways to help out in our college community right here.” Holdsman says to anyone looking to get involved. “Go to involvement fairs, keep your eyes and ears open to all the different activities your friends take part in, and search for things (they might be right under your nose) that are bigger than yourself. It will make life that much more fulfilling and bright!”

On April 22nd, there will be a free showing of the Wizard of Oz in the Hub put on by Harmony. The production will be around forty minutes and is guaranteed to brighten your day! 🙂

 

The websites for the organizations can be found here:

Harmony: http://harmonypsu.wixsite.com/upark

Night to Shine: http://www.timtebowfoundation.org/ministries/night-to-shine

 

Mary Holdsman is a junior and Elementary Education major and Special Education Minor at Penn State University.

Part of what the makes the community at Penn State so diverse is the different educational backgrounds some students receive before attending the university. One of these students is Emmy Jacobson, who attended American Hebrew Academy, a boarding school, her sophomore, junior, and senior year. “There weren’t many good schools near where I lived, which is why I decided to go there. Its also the only Jewish pluralistic boarding school in the world, so it was international,” Jacobson remarks.

The American Hebrew Academy was a small school of about 170 students. “I didn’t really like that it was so small, because gossip spread like wildfire, and everyone knew everyone else’s business. It was kind of nice though because I could become friends with everyone since it was such a close knit community.”

“Because my school was international, most of my friends weren’t from the United States,” Jacobson said. “I had friends from a lot of countries, like Mexico, Russia, Canada, and Columbia.”

When asked about the value of her boarding school, Jacobson remarked that she thought it had made her much more prepared for college. “It gave me more independence and I think it made me be able to handle living away from home more than a lot of people my age,” she said. “My school was in North Carolina, but I lived in Florida. It was about three hours on a plane whenever I wanted to go home.”

One of the ways in which her school was unique was a mandatory four month study abroad trip to Israel. In the program, the students would learn about the Jewish history of the country, and then travel to the places that they learned about. Jacobson said that two of the things she most enjoyed doing was walking from one end of the country to the other, and also being in the army for a week. “We went through a week of basic training, and we learned some commands, wore uniforms, lived in tents, learned how to shoot guns, and were treated like soldiers,” she said. “There was also a day where we served food to all of the other soldiers.”

Some of the places she got to visit were Masada; a mountain where the Israelis and the Romans fought, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea; the lowest place on Earth, and the Western Wall; the last wall standing of the Old Temple. Jacobson also said she went to Tel Aviv Beach during her time there. “It’s a city on the beach, and its the most modern city in the country”.

“We also spent a few hours meeting and playing with the kids from Save a Child’s Heart,” said Jacobson. “Its a nonprofit program that gives heart surgery’s to kids from developing countries who can’t afford it. They give life saving treatments for free,” she said. “They didn’t speak English, so we communicated mostly by hand signals.”

 

Emmy Jacobson is a freshman and Biobehavioral Health major at Penn State University.

Brielle Blanton believes in getting as involved as possible during her time at Penn State. She participates in multiple organizations like Ohana, Volé, the Eberly College of Science Student Council, Nexus, the Black Student Union, and she’s in the middle of applying to be a RA.

The special interest organization she’s in is Ohana, which raises money for THON. It also supports four THON children, Jay, Ashlyn, Kaitlyn, and Tyler. They spend time and have picnics with their THON children, and they also go to their sporting events. “They were the third highest total amount fundraised at THON,” Blanton says proudly. She says that the organization has a time commitment of about an hour each week, and they meet every Sunday or Monday.

Another organization Blanton participates in is Volé, which is one of Penn State’s largest dance orgs. She says that everyone is accepted into this organization, and then placed into technique classes based on skill level. They are mainly a ballet club, but they also have jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and tap. They perform twice a year, in both a spring and a fall showcase. They also danced at this year’s THON. Blanton says that this semester, she spends about three hours a week dancing with Volé. “Volé allows me to continue with my passion for dancing, and is also a good stress reliever.”

Blanton is also involved with the Eberly College of Science Student Council and Nexus, which are both within the Eberly College of Science. She says that with these organizations, she helps plan events within the Eberly College of Science for Welcome Day, which is for incoming students in the college to learn more about their major and what the college offers. Through the org, she can also attend presentations based off of research opportunities and studying abroad.

The Black Student Union, which she is also involved in, offers discussions based off of race and inequality. She says that it also hosts events showcasing the successful members of the black community at Penn State.

Blanton says that there’s a lot of benefits to being involved in these orgs. She enjoys meeting new people and says joining an organization or a club is a great way to do it. “There’s so many orgs at Penn State, so there’s something for everyone.”

“Being in these orgs is great. Each one I’m in reflects who I am as a person. It gives me something to do so I don’t stay in my room all day, and they all give back to others in some way.”

Blanton also remarks that she’s learned important skills through joining her orgs. “It helps with time management, because you have to remember when all the meetings are and balance them with class, homework, exams, and having a social life.”

“The things you do within the org help benefit not just you but the outside community. You learn business skills, and you can learn leadership skills.” Blanton says. “Being highly involved shows you’re well rounded and looks good on professional or grad school applications.”

When I asked Blanton how she became involved in so many organizations, she said it was through attending the Involvement Fair “I literally spent three hours there walking down each row and narrowing down my options.”

She recommends that anyone looking to get more involved should make going to the Involvement Fair a priority. “Preview Penn State’s clubs and make a list. Then take time out of your day to go to the involvement fair and spend quality time there getting information about the clubs that interest you.”

 

Brielle Blanton is a freshman and Biology Major at Penn State University.

I firmly believe that every single student at Penn State University has an interesting story to tell about the things that make them unique. That belief holds true for Angela Yu, a freshman whose favorite pastime is to go to concerts. It’s been one of her passions since she was 15, and as of the day this blog post was written, she’s been to exactly 47 shows.

“I listen to a lot of music,” Yu says. “My favorite is pop punk. It’s small genre but bands like Twenty One Pilots or Fall Out Boy fall into it.”

Yu recounts the first concert she ever went to. “It was in 2014, and I had been dying to go to concerts since I was little. I almost didn’t get to go, but at the last moment a spot opened up in the group of friends that I was going to go with. We saw Panic! At The Disco at a small venue, and even though we got there late and spent the entire time in the back, it was still a lot of fun.”

When I asked her about her favorite concerts, she told me the best she’d ever gone to were for the band The Wonder Years, and Warped Tour in 2017.  At the former, she got to meet her favorite member of the band and talk to him, and she even got a copy of the setlist. Warped Tour, she says, was more like a festival where she got to see many of her favorite bands perform, like Neck Deep, Trophy Eyes, and Boston Manor.

Yu also doesn’t mind traveling long distances to see her favorite bands perform. On February 2nd, she traveled for six hours from State College to New York City to watch Seaway and Neck Deep perform.

She’s been to four concerts on campus at Penn State University: KYLE, A R I Z O N A, Cheat Codes, and PRVIS. “I follow Penn State’s SPA on Twitter, and every time they tweet about a show, I see if I listen to the artist or not. I’ve gotten lucky the past few times and gotten to go to bands I like to listen to.” She recommends the PSU SPA Twitter page as the best source of information about upcoming university hosted concerts.

“Going to school ‘in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania’, I didn’t think I’d be able to see any of the bands that I listen to, but I was wrong,” Yu says. “Its been amazing to have the opportunity to see two bands I really like, and be so close to the stage. Also, the ones I’ve gone to here have been free, so that’s a bonus.”

I asked her what kept her going again and again; after all, the average person hasn’t been to 47 concerts.

“The music I listen to just has a really welcoming scene. I probably met all of my closest friends at the concerts I go to, and sometimes I go to shows just to see them again. It’s almost like no one is a stranger; everyone is super friendly and talks to each other. I listen to music so much, and seeing it live is like… everything being brought together.”

Angela Yu is a freshman in the nursing program at Penn State University.

Walking past Sarah Zarrinfar on campus, she looks like any typical freshman at Penn State University. Upon first glance, it’s easy to overlook the interesting and unique backgrounds behind each student.

Zarrinfar was born in Norway and moved to the United States when she was six years old. Her mother, Sølvi, is Norwegian, and her father, Mahyar, moved to Norway from Iran when he was nineteen.

Growing up with these different backgrounds, Zarrinfar was used to celebrating holidays from multiple cultures, including the Iranian New Year and Norway’s National Day.  Sometimes for others, life at her home can be confusing because her dad speaks Farsi, her mom speaks Norwegian, and Zarrinfar and her sister speak English. “There’s three languages constantly being thrown around but we all understand each other,” Zarrinfar remarks.

She mentions the difficulties she experienced when she first came to the United States. “When we moved here I didn’t know any English and when I first got to school, I was placed in ESL. It was awkward because in Norway it’s so much more casual – like between students and teachers – so when I first came here I called my ESL teacher by her first name and asked how old she was, and she thought I was so rude, but I didn’t know that it was.”

Zarrinfar also discussed what it was like growing up in a country in which she was not a citizen. She remarks that though she could become an American citizen, she chooses not to. “I feel ‘American’, everything here is very natural to me, but I was born there and I don’t want to lose that part of me, which is why I like having that citizenship. I  like having it as a tie to Norway.”

She also said that sometimes, her peers weren’t very accepting of her background, even when she went to high school. “This wasn’t long ago – it was my freshman year – I went to a birthday party. There were a lot of people there, and someone rudely joked ‘Oh my God, maybe Sarah put a bomb in the cake.'” She said comments like these often came from people she considered to be her friends. Though meant as a joke, comments such as these were often offensive, and they made her feel embarrassed. Mostly, Zarrinfar says “I felt bad for my dad because he is so proud to be Iranian, and people have really bad views about his country.”

This led us to have a discussion the generalization that frequently occurs when people refer to those from countries in Western Asia.

“If you say where you’re from, people are so quick to judge. I guess that’s just society. ” She said that even her grandparents were upset when mother and father first got together, but once they got to know him it was better. “The thing with people is that they want to stick with what they know,” she remarked.

When asked about how she felt about how her upbringing has influenced her perspective, she explained that she thought it had made her more open. She said she didn’t understand those that judged people based on where they were from, rather than who they were as an individual. “It’s so weird how there’s so much hate and fear towards other cultures, but at the same time, America is this melting pot. It’s so ironic that we’re so diverse yet we’re not open to other people.”

 

Sarah Zarrinfar is a freshman in the nursing program at Penn State University.