When second choice becomes first-rate

Farr outside of the Globe Theatre in London

Penn State Altoona was never a part of Catherine (Kilgus) Farr’s college plans. Her sights were set on University Park, and when, through a clerical error, she did not get accepted there, she was devastated. Begrudgingly, Farr began her freshman year at Altoona, ready to transfer out as soon as possible. However, by the end of her first semester, she realized there simply was no better college for her than the one she hadn’t wanted to attend.

Farr joined the Honors Program right away and became close with her English and history professors. “I was able to get so much one-on-one contact and attention from them. That was pretty awesome, and they showed me all of these extracurricular activities I could do.” During her second semester, Farr met Carolyn Mahan, professor of biology and environmental studies, who told her all about the environmental studies program and undergraduate research in which she could participate. “Dr. Mahan really helped me find out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I think that personal attention, along with the ability to do research and go on trips is what made me love Penn State Altoona so much.”

Farr took part in two different research projects, one monitoring water in the Altoona area and another working with the college’s Sustainability Council on advertising, newsletters, and website updates. “These were graduate-level projects and there are not a lot of students out there who can say they had that. They were wonderful opportunities to work both in the office and in the field.”

Farr enjoyed her research experiences so much that she plans to pursue a career in it. She graduated from Penn State Altoona in 2016 with a degree in environmental studies, and minors in history and English. She now works as the head of student relations at PennView Suites in Altoona. The job and her recent marriage have so far kept her in the Altoona area, but she is excited to see where the path of research will take her when her time in Altoona comes to an end. “I want to do research on anything that’s going to help the current environment improve. I know I’ll start at the bottom, but that’s what I really want to do.”

Farr credits her other experiences at Penn State Altoona for preparing her to better the earth through research.

During her junior year, Farr travelled to London for ten days as part of a history education abroad trip. She saw all of the major museums, London Square, libraries, ancient manuscripts, and Shakespearian plays. She saw the old lines for where the Roman Empire used to stand in London and ate a lot of amazing food. When I went to London, it was the very first time that I left the country. I’m a very open-area, woodsy person, so London was actually very traumatizing for me because it really is just a cement city. There are hardly any parks and there are no trees on the sidewalks. I had a wonderful time and experienced these crazy things, but I was also uncomfortable there.”

The following year, Farr was able to travel to Costa Rica through her Spanish courses. She was surprised to see how much trash was around the cities and even the suburbs. “It was shocking for me to see a country that was focused on eco-tourism but was grungy. Yet that trip was so much more comfortable for me because of the bush. We stayed in huts on the rivers and in the jungle, and I saw these dangerous creatures like bullet ants and poison frogs.”

Farr did receive credits for the trips but her experiences were far more beneficial to her. “They gave me a clear view of what I was supposed to be doing as a student of the earth. There are a lot of things that I need to do for myself and for my communities to make sure I’m protecting this earth. It was really great to take two completely contrasting trips. They gave me better insight as to how all life is valuable no matter if it’s a cement city like London or somewhere more natural like Costa Rica. It made me realize how small I am, but how big of an impact I can make through my career and through research.”

Farr with former Penn State Altoona Spanish instructor Marienela Davis and a cocoa fruit in Costa Rica.

Farr is sure she would have had opportunities to travel at another college, but the experiences would not have been the same, and she would not have become the person she is now without them. She is equally certain that it would have been more difficult for her to do some other things she wanted. For example, during her senior year, Farr organized the first annual birding classic, a competition in which participants count as many species of birds as possible in a 24-hour-period. It raised almost $1,200 for bird education and conservation in Pennsylvania. “Here I had the support from my fellow students and professors to take an idea I had and turn it into something real. That’s harder to get when you’re competing with 10,000 other students at a larger campus or college. For me it was just another example of the advantages Penn State Altoona students have.” The second annual birding classic took place in April 2017, with Farr again driving it, even as an alumna.

With all that Farr participated in and accomplished during her time at Altoona, she has built a strong network of people she can call on for the next step on her career path. “I think the ability to meet with your same professors regularly and get to know them not only helps academically but helps with networking. I go to dinner with some of my professors regularly, and I know that I can go to any professor I had and ask for recommendation letters. I can be pointed in the right direction for whatever kind of research program I want. At a larger college, you’d be lucky to get that from one professor. Here, you can get that from six or seven.” Farr also points out that upon graduation from Penn State, the diploma says The Pennsylvania State University, whether someone attended University Park or Altoona. “The quality of education is the same. But your networking opportunities drastically change when you’re at a smaller campus.”

Farr feels confident about her future and is grateful for her time at Altoona. “You have to make the best of whatever situation you’re put in. If you choose Penn State Altoona because you couldn’t go to another campus, you have just as many opportunities here as University Park. You may not get the job you want or into the grad school you want, but if you’re not doing your part to make the most of your opportunities, you only have yourself to blame when you come out short in the end.”

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