My Penn State Altoona experience is more than a four-year degree program. I was born and raised in Altoona, and as a kid I attended a lot of summer camps at the campus. Since then, it’s felt like a second home to me.
It was an easy decision to study at Penn State Altoona after high school, even though I didn’t have any idea what I wanted to do. I switched between several majors, studying chemistry, Spanish, and linguistics, before eventually finding myself in the Security and Risk Analysis program—almost by accident!
The professors at the college are amazing, and because I switched majors, I was able to meet a lot of different people. The professors here will do anything for their students’ success. All of them were willing to work with me outside of the class, and many encouraged me to conduct research with them, despite being an undergrad. However, anytime I talk about my studies at Penn State Altoona, I have to mention three professors in particular.
Dr. Laura Rotunno got me involved with the honors program right from the start. It was the active and motivated group of students and professors who pushed me to take part in some of the best classes and research projects Penn State Altoona had to offer. She definitely guided me in all things academic, and it made a huge difference.
Dr. Steven Bonta mentored me in what has become a lifelong passion: linguistics. He gave up a lot of lunches to watch me struggle through a lot of things—from Sanskrit conjugations to H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu in Catalan. He was the first person who really taught me how to teach myself.
And finally, Dr. Jungwoo Ryoo was always bringing me into more projects than I could keep straight. By junior year, I was designing, reviewing, writing, and even publishing journal papers. I loved writing the code behind our research, and because of my work with him, I got to travel and meet amazing researchers around the world.
Together, this unique experience has led me to apply for and receive a Korean government scholarship, which will pay for a year of Korean language school as well as two years as a master’s degree student at Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea. I really do owe it to the amazing support and guidance from my professors at Penn State Altoona.
Until the end of the summer, I’ll continue working with Dr. Ryoo on several projects, but I’m sad to be leaving this community and home. Just like when I started at Penn State Altoona, I have no idea where my studies abroad are going to take me. Regardless, I’m confident that my experiences here have prepared me for just about anything.
Penn State Altoona has done amazing things for me, and someday I hope to return the favor.
Stay tuned for an update on Bill in an upcoming IvyLink series—Alumni Abroad. IvyLink will feature alumni stories on travel and experiences around the globe. Do you have a story to share? Send us your ideas at ivylink@psu.edu.