Liberal Arts student fulfills dream to study and see the world

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Having the desire to explore the world, Casey Sennett knew that the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts would be the right place for her.

“I never imagined in my wildest dreams, either as a Penn State student and just as a human, that I would ever be able to go abroad or afford an experience like that,” Sennett said. “Getting these opportunities is so surreal — they’re moments I’ll never forget.”

Sennett, a fifth-year student from Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, has made it her goal to pursue all her interests at Penn State. She is graduating with a master’s degree in anthropology; bachelor’s degrees in anthropology, history, Jewish studies and Middle Eastern studies; minors in classics and ancient Mediterranean studies and global and international studies; and certificates in museum studies and Holocaust and genocide studies.

“I didn’t necessarily have four degrees in mind coming into Penn State,” Sennett said. “I entered through the Schreyer Honors College and the Paterno Fellows Program, so I at least knew I wanted to double major.”

While she could not anticipate what journey her academic career would take her on, she did have many interests pertaining to history and the ancient world that guided her path.

“I came in as an anthropology major because I was really interested in pursuing archaeology,” Sennett said. “One of my first study abroad experiences was in the summer of 2019 — I did an archaeological field school in Tel Akko, Israel. That was a really formative experience for me because I realized while archaeology is very fascinating, it’s not what I wanted to do professionally. Instead of uncovering the history, I wanted to be able to disseminate those objects and the history and stories behind them.”

Sennett cites the College of the Liberal Arts and its embedded course programs in helping her pursue her personal and academic interests. Embedded course programs allow students to take what they’re learning in a class and apply it by embarking on experiences abroad, gaining hands-on knowledge to enhance their studies.

“I took Jewish Studies 197 my first year, which was about France and the Holocaust,” Sennett said. “It really opened my eyes to antisemitism; it was so fascinating to learn about this topic from a different perspective. We went to Paris for spring break, and these experiences really made me want to shift my focus more on Jewish history and Holocaust education.”

Sennett remarked on the other opportunities the College of the Liberal Arts has given her and how they have shaped her.

“I really found my home in the College of the Liberal Arts, especially through the Paterno Fellows Program and the Liberal Arts Ambassadors,” Sennett said. “Learning about all my fellow students with very similar interests really made me feel comfortable and like I was in a space that really understood me.”

Sennett will graduate as the Jewish studies student marshal at commencement. Afterward, she will work in the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial in Hamburg, Germany, as part of the Action Reconciliation Service for Peace program.

“I would tell first-year students coming into Penn State and the college to just go for it,” Sennett said. “There are so many opportunities for career support, internships, studying abroad and funding that allowed me to make all of my experiences possible.”