UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Historic Carnegie Building is the hub for faculty, staff and students in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, and some helpful and friendly staff members consistently offer important frontline support when navigating the halls (or processes) gets a little dizzying for students.
Several dedicated staff members help the Bellisario College feel like home for students because of the way the approach their jobs.
Maritza Smith works as the administrative assistant for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, headed by Associate Dean Gary Abdullah. Smith also supports the Bellisario College’s recruitment efforts, led by Manager of Recruitment Emily Clevenger.
Smith's office at the top of the steps on the second floor often represents the first stop for many families and students visiting Carnegie Building. Working with recruitment, Smith enjoys getting to know the students before they even enroll at Penn State, and she enjoys establishing relationships with students and their families.
She’s determined to make every student feel comfortable. “Here, it’s just one big family,” said Smith, who joined the Bellisario College in 2022.
Once students arrive on campus, Heather Taylor serves as a go-to liaison for those who need help with course loads and scheduling. She’s the administrative support assistant for the Bellisario College’s advising office. She’s been in the college since 2024 and at Penn State since 2009.
Taylor serves as the first point of contact for students who visit the advising office. She’s prepared to answer academic questions and point everyone in the right direction. By fielding student concerns and providing faculty and staff with semester updates, Taylor's administrative skills enhance the powerful effects of the eight-member advising team.
Taylor enjoys working in an advising office and appreciates the “collectively student-focused” team that supports students. “Interacting with the students is the best part of the job,” Taylor said, and having a cohesive advising staff makes her job even better.
The Office of Internships and Career Services seems busy almost every day and Renee Kennedy, the coordinator of internships, is at the forefront of that activity. Along with supporting Assistant Dean Bob Martin and Manager of Internships Julie Miller, Kennedy attends all the career and internship events the Bellisario College hosts.
So sometimes she’s in Carnegie Building or another building on campus for a career-development event. The office also conducts internship and job fairs in New York City and Washington, D.C., and Kennedy attends those as well. Kennedy has been in the college since 2023 and at Penn State since 2013.
She said it’s easy to appreciate the energy motivated students consistently bring to events, along with the work Martin and Miller put into making all those events and integrations a success.
“Seeing the impact their words have on students” makes working with Martin and Miller rewarding, Kennedy said. Plus, it’s enjoyable to see student growth.
“Seeing them come together for career fairs, seeing them work their nerves, and seeing all their gratitude makes everything worthwhile,” Kennedy said.
Along with a commitment to student support, Kennedy, Smith and Taylor also bring a determined, selfless approach to their jobs. Things run well in those offices with them in public-facing positions because they care.
Even in one of the longest-standing buildings on the Penn State campus, that kind of commitment never gets old.