UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Many students who choose Penn State are influenced by family and friends, but for Emily, Sarah and Alex Larkin, the similarity in their educational journey doesn’t stop there.
The trio of alumni not only chose Penn State, but also the College of Arts and Architecture. Emily (class of 2016) and Sarah ( class of 2022) each earned bachelor of landscape architecture degrees and Alex (class of 2018) earned a bachelor’s degree in digital arts and media design.
While their parents did not attend the University, the siblings still had family ties to Penn State.
“All three of our dad’s brothers went to Penn State, and both my fiancé and Sarah’s boyfriend also went to Penn State,” Emily said. “We’re just one big family of Penn Staters.”
After graduating, the siblings expanded their horizons. Emily moved to Dallas, Texas, where she works at Norris Design; Sarah moved to Houston, Texas, to work at Clark Condon Associates; and Alex moved to Binghamton, New York, where he works at Doron Precision Systems.
Despite being far from Happy Valley, the sisters, both members of the Alumni Association, are still finding Penn State community wherever they go.
“I go to the alumni bar in Houston for most game days,” Sarah said. “I was an orientation leader when I was at Penn State. One time I was in the alumni bar and a girl ran up to me to tell me I was her orientation leader. It was a full-circle moment.”
While the siblings were at Penn State, the Larkin name was known to many faculty members in the College of Arts and Architecture.
“I liked being there without my siblings, but … all the professors still knew my sister,” Sarah noted.
During college, certain courses can resonate with students more than others. For Sarah, those were Ethics of Landscape Architecture and a landscape architecture studio with Peter Stempel, associate professor of landscape architecture.
Emily said she particularly loved her construction concepts course. “We went on a field trip to study masonry. It was super hands-on, and I loved it.”
Both Sarah and Emily took advantage of what Penn State has to offer outside the classroom. Sarah focused on working with new students as an orientation leader, while Emily was president of the Landscape Architecture Student Society.
Both have always been avid Penn State sports fans.
“I remember my first football game when we were all cheering for the same thing to happen,” Emily said. “You really feel like you’re there with 100,000 of your best friends.”
Emily and Sarah said they had an “incredible experience” at Penn State and that they are grateful for the close-knit community within the College of Arts and Architecture.
“It makes a big pond of 40,000 students feel so much smaller and like a family,” Emily said.
The College of Arts and Architecture is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2023-24. This story is part of a series highlighting people, places and events in the college’s six-decade history.