Highlights
Awaly is the current College of the Liberal Arts College Marshal, and her picture can be seen hanging in the Sparks building. She is a proud PSU graduate who aspires to attend law school and work in civil rights law. She believes that her college best prepared her to take on the many trials of real life. By going outside of theory, she could apply real skills that she learned in school to the rest of her life.
Awaly’s Story
Awaly Diallo graduated from Penn State in May of 2020 with a bachelor of arts degree in Sociology and African American Studies. She is currently working as a paralegal at a support center for child advocates in Philadelphia. She plans to apply for and attend law school in the future.
As a high school student, Awaly was not too familiar with Penn State. After applying and being accepted, she still did not really feel a part of the Penn State community until after starting her first year. Awaly chose Penn State as her home and family in the many personal moments where she found herself truly happy about her environment and those around her. Awaly felt that Penn State was a place where she could explore all parts of her identity and experience so many new opportunities. As she told me, “The name carries itself.”
Awaly knew that she wanted to study sociology and head down the law school route from the start of her college education. She also chose African American studies and it was in this department where she felt she truly found her Penn State family. They taught her that she could maintain all parts of her being. They taught her about who she was as a first generation college student, a black woman, and a child of immigrants. They taught her to be proud of who she was. She feels lucky to be able to see the world differently because of these two programs.
The Penn State College of the Liberal Arts teaches students real skills that can be applied to everyday life. Awaly says, “They teach you concepts outside of theory because we live in reality”. She is grateful for the communication skills this college has helped her build. As a first-year student in this college, Awaly felt the staff members and professors were always responsive to students with ambitious ideas. They were willing to hear your ideas and help you put your dreams into action. Awaly remembers working with one of her professors in her first year to get a guest lecturer for one of their classes. This made her feel respected as a both a student and a future leader.
Some advice Awaly has for current, incoming, and prospective Penn State students is to take advantage of everything, and to not let yourself or anyone else stand in the way of what you want to accomplish. It’s important to take every opportunity that comes your way because this is the time where you will learn a lot about yourself. If a class looks interesting to you, take it. Awaly urges all students to be ambitious.
She also tells students to not be afraid to ask for help. It’s easier said than done, but this is a time where you are in full control of your education and future. You have the power to manifest things into your life, as Awaly puts it. Go around asking questions and never forget to believe in yourself even in your lowest moments because that’s where you’ll need confidence the most.
After graduating, Awaly wanted to gain some real-world work experience. She interned at a law school and at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C. Currently, Awaly is studying for law school while working a full-time job. She is also part of a collective that seeks to change how stories are told for marginalized people of all types including race, ethnicity, and gender. She deeply misses being in an environment that fosters education and learning. It was in school where she learned how to develop her critical thinking and social communication skills that she uses everyday.
Looking back on her Penn State experience, Awaly wouldn’t change a thing. Even though she made mistakes, she felt these mistakes helped shape her into the person she is today. It was through these mistakes where she learned about her resilience, and she saw how the people who truly cared for her would always be there to support her. “Accomplishments don’t always affirm you,” says Awaly. The painful moments can teach you a lot about yourself too. It is in these times where we develop and grow the most as people. You are more than what others think about you and more than what you think about yourself.
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