Penn State held the third mini-event in its series — Class of 2024: A Virtual “Welcome to the Penn State Community,” consisting of four livestream Q&A sessions with students, alumni, faculty and members of Penn State’s leadership team. Penn State President Barron recently invited the newest cohort of accepted students to watch the series and learn more about the Penn State community’s commitment to their success.

Marie Hardin, dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, hosted this event and provided a warm welcome to students. “We have been reading about you. We have been thinking about you. We have been talking about you, and to you. And now we’re so excited to get ready to meet you. I want to tell you that our students are ready to make new friends for a lifetime. Our faculty are getting ready to bring you into the classroom and to challenge you to do better work than you’ve ever done before as you aspire to your hopes and dreams. And finally, our alumni are ready to engage and support you. I’m so excited to meet all of you, Class of 2024.”

Penn Staters came together in this session to answer submitted questions and help students and their families feel a part of the community. In keeping with the theme, Strength of the Penn State Community, participants focused on topics related to lifelong Penn State connections. The archived live event, can be viewed at Classof2024.psu.edu.

Hardin was joined by Jackie Edmondson, Chancellor at Penn State Greater Allegheny; Elizabeth Seymour, Associate Teaching Professor at Penn State Altoona and Chair-Elect of the Penn State University Faculty Senate; Synthea Hairston, Vice President of the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments in the Class of 2021; and Ninad Mahajan, Schreyer Honors Scholar in the Class of 2021.

Edmondson spoke about Penn State’s support of all students, including first-generational students. “About half of our students are first in their families to go to college. Many of our faculty and staff are first to go to college in their families, and we have a lot of programming around that. I’m also a first generational student. Our students think it’s amazing to connect with other people who were first in their family to go to college and have gone on to have very successful careers.”

Hairston and Mahajan, both current students, provided examples of the strength of community they have felt through their involvement in student organizations and in the programs and activities they have joined at their respective campuses.

Hairston acknowledged the breadth of opportunities available to all students. “There are so many outlets that Penn State allows you to be a part of.” She continued by reflecting on how welcoming the community is and how inclusive her experiences have been during her time at the University. “There is something for everyone, everywhere at Penn State. People, no matter what you are, make you feel included.”

Mahajan talked about students finding their niche. “There are so many different areas of interest that people have, and you can find a diverse group of people to really get to know over the course of your time at Penn State. The power of student organizations in bringing people together really helps you in building community among your peers.”

Each of the participants encouraged students to think about ways of creating their own connections within the Penn State community.

Pointing out that faculty and staff are eager to help students achieve their goals, Seymour said, “Dream big. Think about what you might want to do and start having a discussion.” She continued by emphasizing that the University is here to “help you, talk to you, guide you, and find the right match for you, your interests, your desires, and help you fulfill your career goals.”

Edmondson recognized the unique chance for students to make an impact in the world right now. “I’m really excited for this incoming class because I really believe there’s no better time to become a Penn Stater than now. Our Penn State community is going to be on the front edge of solving the problems that we’re seeing in the world today, and new students will have every opportunity to be part of that.”

Hardin provided closing remarks for the day, telling accepted students that the Penn State community is ready for them. “Each one of you has been offered this opportunity to join us at Penn State because you have unique talents and skills and attributes, and you are an achiever, and you are a doer. We know that you are going to bring something of great value to us. You are going to be a cherished part of the Penn State community. We are waiting for you. We are excited about you joining us. And, you are ready. I hope and look forward to you joining us and helping us tell the next great series of ‘We Are’ stories.”

Please join us at Classof2024.psu.edu at 3:30 p.m. EDT for the last Q&A session on May 27, Value of a Penn State Education, hosted by Eric J. Barron, Penn State President.

The archived live events for the first two sessions, Flexibility to Meet Individual Needs and The Penn State Student Experience, which covered topics such as return to campus, deferrals, financial resources, and a new option called Flex Start, can also be viewed at Classof2024.psu.edu.

Students and their families can submit questions using an anonymous form at Classof2024.psu.edu, so the themes and topics can be addressed during live sessions. There will be a follow-up after the series with answers to some of the questions that time doesn’t allow for.