UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Once Sam Etzi and Shannon McConnell visited the University Park campus and spent some time at Penn State, it became obvious to both of them: They were going to be Nittany Lions.

“I fell head-over-heels in love with this school,” Etzi said. “The opportunities that we have here at Penn State are very different from other schools.”

Added McConnell: “I came on a tour, and hearing people yell, ‘We Are’ at you — it gives you a sense of family that everybody feels when they come to Penn State. That really drew me to this school.”

Etzi is from Pittsburgh, while McConnell is from Emmaus, near Allentown Pennsylvania. Both are seniors. And while you might not know them yet, their contributions will have a significant impact if you’re returning to campus for Homecoming.

The Homecoming Executive Committee has been planning for Homecoming Week (Oct. 2–8) all year. Though for the students who comprise the committee, such as Etzi and McConnell, Homecoming is about more than one week in October. It’s a year-round celebration that’s enriched their college experiences.

“To many people, Homecoming is just a week in October, but I think I can speak for the entire Executive Committee when I say Homecoming is an organization that has made each of our Penn State experiences the best and most unforgettable they can be,” McConnell said.

Both McConnell (alumni relations) and Etzi (royalty) serve as directors, after previous stints as captains. They’ve flourished in their roles. They both said that becoming involved with Homecoming has been one of their best college experiences, with McConnell saying that she’s met Penn Staters who still have so much pride and passion: “No matter when you graduated, Penn State always sticks with you,” she said.

And Etzi loved seeing how the event unites the University, explaining that she didn’t think she’d have the opportunity to meet alumni as an undergraduate student, but that’s happened through her leadership role with the executive committee.

“I am inspired by the leadership and creativity displayed by our student-led Homecoming effort,” Alumni Association CEO Paul Clifford said. “Their efforts create and deliver a memorable Homecoming experience each fall for alumni that return home to Happy Valley to celebrate their Nittany Lion heritage.”

So all of this has led to this year’s Homecoming—and as Etzi said, “The feeling is really surreal.” You can visit Penn State Homecoming’s website for more information on everything that’s planned, and check out details on Alumni Association-sponsored events on their website.

The centerpiece for Friday night is the Homecoming Parade, which will begin at 6 p.m. The parade route will weave through campus and down College Avenue. You can view photos from last year’s event on the Alumni Association's Flickr page. Photos of the parade can be seen in the photo galleries for both Homecoming and The Football Letter photos for the game last year against Indiana.

More than 200 organizations participated in the 2015 parade, including students, alumni and community members. In total, approximately 2,200 people walked in the parade, spanning the entire Penn State spectrum. And therein lies part of the awesomeness of Homecoming: Penn Staters from all different demographics and backgrounds coming together.
“I think the variety of groups we see participate in our annual Homecoming Parade is a representation of who Penn Staters really are, which is something we want to showcase,” said Parade Director Nick Harvey.

“Penn Staters come from across the globe and that is something that helps us grow culturally. The diversity we see also ties in the mission of Penn State Homecoming: to celebrate tradition and instill pride in all members of the Penn State family through active engagement of students, alumni, faculty and staff across the community.”

There’s still plenty of focus on tradition and nostalgia, with the executive committee once again selecting an Alumni Court. The group comprises alumni who served in Homecoming Court as students, a new initiative started last year. McConnell helped oversee the selection, and they received more responses than they expected.

Included among them was Joan Hunter Miller, 1955, who was named Homecoming Queen as a student. She couldn’t attend the Alumni Court ceremony, though kept in touch with the committee and thanked the students for the honor. “I thought it was really cool that we were able to reach her, and that she was so excited,” McConnell said. 

To that point of bridging generations of Penn Staters in a weeklong celebration, here’s additional perspective from committee members:  

“Homecoming means bringing past, present, and future Penn Staters together for a celebration of pride,” Etzi said. “Being on the executive committee for Homecoming 2016 has truly changed my college years; being able to have such an influence on an event that so many attend is really an honor that I will cherish as a student and as an alumna.”

Added Security Director Erin O’Rourke: “Homecoming is a celebration of generations that have graduated, that are currently attending the University, and that will eventually call Happy Valley their home. It brings together so many different groups of people and celebrates how far we have come as a University and challenges the University to be better and go even further.”

Hearing Etzi and McConnell enthusiastically discuss Homecoming, there’s a sense that, just as the University is in this together, so are the committee members.

They’ve worked side-by-side for nearly a year, and Etzi for example, has learned how to delegate tasks and divide responsibilities. She’s overseen seven students in her royalty director role, an opportunity that she doesn’t have in other groups. It’s a give-and-take, she said, especially in working with the other directors. There are different opinions and schedules to accommodate, though as she and McConnell have said, everything has worked out well. And they’ve learned plenty along the way.

Committee meetings feature guest speakers who discuss personal and professional development, a focus for the group. “We’ve grown so close working together for 11 months, and it’s been a great experience to work with leaders such as myself,” Etzi said.

“It’s really cool how back in November, almost all of us were strangers, and now we’ve grown so much as this huge support system with each other,” McConnell added. “I know I can lean on all 16 of them, and they’ll be there for me. It’s stressful, but I feel a lot of confidence with the committee members because we’ve grown so close through this process.”

For questions, email alumnihomecoming@psu.edu.