About 250 incoming first-year students and new transfer students were in attendance at convocation on Aug. 21, along with faculty and staff of the Lehigh Valley campus. Credit: Camille Kacerik / Penn State. Creative Commons
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — The new academic year officially began on Aug. 21 at Penn State Lehigh Valley’s fall convocation ceremony.
About 250 incoming first-year students and new transfer students were in attendance, along with faculty and staff of the Lehigh Valley campus.
Convocation opened with the procession of campus faculty and staff. Senior faculty member Barbara Cantalupo, professor of English, led the procession.
Convocation speakers included Tina Q. Richardson, chancellor of Penn State Lehigh Valley; Douglas Hochstetler, interim director of academic affairs; Mark Gruskin, associate professor of finance and accounting, and chair of the Penn State Lehigh Valley Faculty Senate; Hibah Akbar, president of the Student Government Association; and Todd Retzlaff, associate professor of mathematics.
When Akbar spoke, she advised students to strive for more.
“Think about what you want and how to get it using Penn State resources. My advice to all Penn State Lehigh Valley students is to be more than just fine, because you’re fantastic,” Akbar said.
During Retzlaff’s remarks he reminded students that college is about more than picking a major and getting that degree.
“Remember you are not locked into one path. Pursuing other interests is worth your time. Explore your options, join groups on campus. You get to meet people and learn from their different viewpoints. And don’t forget, you’re more resilient than you give yourself credit for,” Retzlaff said.
New Student Welcome was a daylong event for all new first-year, transfer and adult students. The event included information sessions, academic workshops and presentations. New Student Welcome also included a motivational speaker who encouraged students to be engaged. Many student leaders also were present to welcome students and introduce them to campus. Each new student received a Penn State Lehigh Valley swag bag, which included a water bottle with information on refill stations as a kickoff to learning about sustainability on campus.
See more photos from convocation at Flickr.com.