Brandywine Alumni Spotlight: Daniela Glaviano, class of 2004

MEDIA, Pa. — Almost 20 years after graduating from Penn State, alumna Daniela Glaviano, class of 2004, is on the Brandywine Alumni Society’s executive board.

Glaviano began her Penn State journey at Brandywine in 1999, majoring in liberal arts and sciences. While being a full-time student, she also worked full-time at PNC Bank and Vanguard Group.

Glaviano says the reason why she chose to attend Penn State Brandywine was because of Penn State’s overall reputation and sense of community.

“What led me to Penn State Brandywine specifically was that I was able to get a Penn State education on a smaller campus. Penn State all around has a great reputation,” she said. “It also has the largest alumni network in the world, and I really liked that sense of community.”

When asked what class stood out to her the most during her time at Brandywine, Glaviano recalled her introduction to psychology course, saying she learned so much because her professor connected topics from class to real-life scenarios.

“[My professor] was the coolest teacher. She used to bring her dog with her to class, and her class was full of life lessons,” she said. “It wasn’t just her saying, ‘This is the topic, and this is what the book says.’ She wanted you to learn the curriculum, but she wanted you to be able to apply it to real life and not just be able to answer questions to pass the course.”

Since graduating from Penn State, Glaviano has worked primarily in banking, having employment at companies including JP Morgan Chase & Company, Merrill Lynch, Malvern Bank and DNB First. She currently serves as an administrative assistant at LPL Financial, a retail financial advice company headquartered in San Diego.  

Glaviano is still very involved in the Brandywine community. In 2020, Glaviano joined the Penn State Brandywine Alumni Society and was elected vice president in 2022.

“Penn State as a whole has a huge alumni network, and everyone helps everyone. I wanted to be a part of that at the local level because the Brandywine campus feels like home,” she said. “I really enjoy interacting with students and making connections. The best part of my life is being a part of the Brandywine Alumni Society.”

When asked what advice she would give to Penn State Brandywine students, Glaviano said to not downplay attending a Commonwealth Campus.

“We are a part of the Penn State community. You get the same education as you would at any other Penn State campus, including University Park,” she said. “This is the real Penn State, and it’s a place where you can graduate with your associate or bachelor’s degrees. One thing I always want students to understand is that this is Penn State. Even though it’s Penn State Brandywine, it’s still Penn State. You don’t have to be at University Park.”

She also mentioned the power of being part of the Penn State community.

“Never take for granted the power of being part of the Penn State Community. I’ve gotten job interviews just because I mentioned Penn State in my resume or cover letter,” she said. “In today’s society, it’s not just about what you know, but who you know. Being a part of an alumni society like Penn State’s will take you very far.”