International student builds community, research through Paterno Fellows program

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Being a Paterno Fellow in the College of the Liberal Arts has played a major role in shaping Rand Tayseer Alkhunaizi’s college experience, creating a sense of community and the type of academic challenge she was looking for when she first arrived at Penn State.

The international student from Saudi Arabia, a double-major in psychology and sociology, said she initially didn’t know much about the Paterno Fellows Program, but her freshman year adviser introduced her to the program’s rewarding environment. Through her involvement as a Paterno Fellow, she was later admitted to the Schreyer Honors College — one of the University’s few pathways for students not initially in Schreyer to demonstrate their potential and earn their way into the honors college.

“The honors courses were small and discussion-based, which really pushed me but also gave me the close community I was looking for when I first came to Penn State,” Alkhunaizi said.

That sense of community encouraged Alkhunaizi to take the initiative to get more involved during her second year. After attending a mental health event supported by the College of the Liberal Arts and spearheaded by Kevin Hulburt, she said she realized there was an opportunity to expand the conversation on campus. In collaboration with Hulburt, she co-founded the club Mindfulness and the Science of Happiness (MASH).

Passionate about mental health, Alkhunaizi said she used the club to create a space where students could talk openly about their well-being. She also designed social media graphics for the organization and later served as its president for a year. The club continues today with an increasing number of members and events, most recently hosting a fully funded three-day mindfulness retreat for Penn State students that she attended during her spring break.

Alkhunaizi’s involvement as a Paterno Fellow continues as a member of its Student Advisory Board, where her experiences from the previous three years in the program help guide other students. Serving on the board has allowed her to work closely with faculty and staff while contributing ideas for events and discussions relevant to students.

The advisory board, she said, helps create stronger connections within the program.

“Having faculty and students working together makes the program feel more supportive and more approachable for everyone,” Alkhunaizi said.

The advisory board helped plan a panel as part of the college’s Love Liberal Arts Week earlier this semester. Titled “The Shapes of Love: From Plato to the Present — Cultivation or Consumption?”, the event featured a presentation by a philosophy doctoral student and explored how relationships, identity and values shape the way people understand love. Drawing on philosophical ideas, including Plato’s view of love as a force for personal growth, the conversation also examined how modern culture and casual relationships may influence those perspectives.

Alkhunaizi served as one of the student panelists, contributing to a discussion that connected big ideas to lived student experiences.

“It was special to see students and faculty come together and talk about ideas that matter to us,” Alkhunaizi said. “Those kinds of conversations don’t always happen in larger settings.”

Research has also been a defining part of Alkhunaizi’s experience. At last year’s Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Expo, she presented a project as part of her as a Partnerships in International Research and Education (PIRE) undergraduate fellow, a National Science Foundation-funded program supported by the College of the Liberal Arts and the Center for Language Science.

As part of the fellowship, she spent two months in Mexico City collecting data and working on the dissemination of her research. Presenting at the expo was meaningful, she said, because it allowed her to see and be inspired by the wide range of research happening across disciplines in the liberal arts.

“You don’t always realize how much incredible research other students are doing until you see it all in one place,” Rand said. “It really motivated me to keep exploring my own ideas.”

Alkhunaizi has worked in the MultiGrammar Lab with associate professor of Spanish and linguistics, Matthew Carlson and the Newman Depression and Anxiety Lab with professor of psychology and psychiatry Michelle Newman. There Alkhunaizi saw firsthand the strong culture of mentorship across departments in the College of the Liberal Arts and how committed faculty and graduate students are to supporting undergraduate researchers.

Her work in both labs eventually led to opportunities to present at national conferences hosted by the Linguistic Society of America in Philadelphia and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in New Orleans, where she also presented her honors thesis. She said attending national conferences was an immersive experience that highlighted for her the larger, collaborative nature of research.

Alkhunaizi’s service and mentorship extends to other areas. For about two years she volunteered with Centre Helps in State College, a hotline counseling center where she assisted callers from both the local community and the national suicide hotline. This experience further affirmed her interest in clinical psychology.

“I found that giving your time to something you care about not only helps you understand your interests and values, but you also feel like you have more time when you’re helping others," Alkhunaizi said.

She also serves as an undergraduate research ambassador for the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring Office, where she meets one on one with students to explain the hidden curriculum of research, including how to approach professors, apply to labs and navigate opportunities that may not always be obvious to new students. By sharing her own experiences, she said she hopes to make the process more accessible for others.

Looking ahead, Alkhunaizi plans to continue her academic journey after graduation. She’s been accepted into the Foundations of Clinical Psychology master’s program at England’s University of Cambridge, and she was selected to serve as the sociology major marshal for her graduating class at spring 2026 commencement.

Reflecting on her time in the College of the Liberal Arts, she said she feels especially grateful for the supportive faculty, mentors and students she met through the Paterno Fellows Program, which helped build her confidence and encouraged her to take advantage of the many opportunities available on campus. She often reminds younger students that the resources are there, but they need to advocate for themselves and pursue the opportunities that interest them.

“Be genuine about what you care about, ask for opportunities and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself,” she said. “The resources are here and the people want to help you succeed.”