Major/minor: Psychology major, business minor
Year: Third
Involvement: President of Lion Ambassadors, founding member of National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), member of Brandywine Leagues & Tournaments
Brandywine: Why did you choose to attend Penn State Brandywine?
Santangelo: I wanted to go to Penn State ever since I was little. My dad actually went here for two years because it wasn't a four-year school at the time. I had originally wanted to go to University Park, but as I got older, I realized I wanted to stay closer to home.
I was deciding between here and another local school because they're both the same distance from my house, but there was always a part of me that wanted to go to Penn State. I decided that if I was able to go here all four years, I would. If I couldn't, I was just going to go to the other local school.
I was able to get in touch with the admissions staff at Brandywine at the beginning of my senior year of high school, and they connected me with Dr. (Joshua) Marquit, associate teaching professor of psychology here, and he was able to answer all my questions. I learned I was able to do my major here completely and commute, so ultimately that was how I made my decision.
Brandywine: How did you choose your major?
Santangelo: I want to become a high school guidance counselor once I’m done with college because the one I had really inspired me. I had a really good guidance counselor, and a lot of my friends didn't. I want to be a guidance counselor because of my experience with my own. Also, I want to help students through the college application process.
Brandywine: What challenges have you faced at Brandywine?
Santangelo: When I first came here, I was pretty nervous about meeting people. Even though only 25% of students live here, it felt like that community was so tight-knit when I first came here — all the students who lived on campus were so close. When I came here after high school, I was a bit shy, so it was hard to put myself out there. I realized that I should get involved, and I decided to join Lion Ambassadors to meet people. I’ve met so many of my friends through that. I was able to encourage myself to have the confidence to put myself out there and meet people. I felt like it was a little bit hard for the first couple of months, but I feel like that's how it is for a lot of people going to college.
Brandywine: Who has supported you here at Brandywine and how?
Santangelo: I feel like I've been supported by so many people here. I started getting support from Brandywine before I even accepted my offer! Dr. Marquit has been one of my biggest supporters, and he ended up being my adviser as well. It was cool because I had already talked to him before I came here, and he helped me a lot. He helped me create schedules that I’ve felt really confident in and are very convenient for me. I feel very heard by him.
Everyone in the admissions office has been very helpful to me, especially because I spend so much of my time there for Lion Ambassadors. Kari Berton (assistant director of admissions) has been so great. She always works with me and my schedule, which can get complicated sometimes with the jobs I work outside of school. And honestly, everyone is always so welcoming, and it's so important to me to see friendly faces and have people really get to know me. It just makes me feel like I really fit in this place, and I feel so welcome.