August 2019: What's happening at Shenango?
Penn State Shenango is located in beautiful Downtown Sharon and is considered to be the only urban campus out of Commonwealth campuses.
Vol 1, Issue 10
Meet Jeremy
Name: Jeremy Fabian
When did you graduate? May 2011
What was your major? Business – Marketing and Management
What campus(es) did you attend? Shenango
What is your favorite Penn State memory? I have two. First would be the Penn State vs Minnesota game that went into double overtime in 2016 and we won. It was a birthday gift from my wife, Kelly. It was the turn of a remarkable season. Which leads to my second, Penn State vs Ohio State in 2016. We were losing 21-17 with 4:39 left in the game when Marcus Allen blocked the field goal and Grant Haley returned it back for a touchdown. We went on to win the game. Memory of a life time!
Why did you choose Penn State? My older brother chose Penn State and I looked up to him and admired his success. I was able to get a world class education with a smaller class size and have professors that were hands on and influential in my future.
Who has made an impact on your life? My wife Kelly has made the biggest impact in my life. She is my biggest cheerleader and is always encouraging me and pushing me to be the best I can be. We continue to set goals and strive to achieve those goals together. Her attitude towards everything she does is contagious and has helped me grow as an individual.
Where are you now? I am the Director of Safety and Security with The Primary Health Network.
Why would you recommend Penn State to future students? The education along with the community. It provides students with the best tools and resources to help students become successful. In addition, the community that you are part of during your time at school and post education is fantastic. Penn States' network is huge. Whether you are in the U.S. or Mexico, you always have the chance to give a WE ARE…
Build and maintain those relationships and become a part of the alumni association.
Any advice to current/future students: Enjoy where you are and what you are doing. What you do today impacts your tomorrow. Be the best version of yourself and take advantage of all of the tools and resources provided to you. With dedication, hard work, and determination to be the best will get you to be the best. Don’t be afraid to give up the good and go for the great!
Meet Adrienne
Name: Adrienne Klotz-Floyd
When did you graduate? August 1996
What was your major? BFA Technical Theater with a minor in Visual Arts/Photography.
What campus(es) did you attend? I started at Penn State Shenango my first year then moved to Main campus in State College for the next four years.
What were you involved in on campus during your time at Penn State? At Shenango I was the Freshman Class President, at Main campus I worked on Main Stage Theater Productions at the Play House and Pavilion Theaters. I also worked at Eisenhower Auditorium as a technician and The Bryce Jordan Center when it opened as a Master Electrician - experiences that set me up for success in my current profession.
What is your favorite Penn State memory? LOL, there are sooooo many! Probably the funniest one was the day I came out from class at Shenango Campus and my car made a horrible sound with a puff of what I thought was smoke when I turned the key. It wasn’t I realized on opening the hood of the car, it was a Ground Hog had decided the engine of my 1968 Buick Skylark was a good place to take a nap.
Why did you choose Penn State? That’s a hard one. I didn’t. I wanted to go to Kent State for Architecture. My mom said “Nope! It’s Penn State.” (She’s a Penn State Graduate too)
Who has made an impact on your life? A lot of people. The one that comes to mind right now is Robert Pavlic. He was like a dad to me, a Marine, and a Penn State Graduate.
One surprising fact about yourself: I was diagnosed with a learning disability at a young age and have never “seen” the world the way most people do. When coming into Penn State Shenango, I was in the Honors program and thought for sure it was a mistake. What I’ve learned as an adult is that people with this are smart, they just put the world together differently in their minds and often don’t fit in the standard classroom. I’ve gone on to complete four college degrees, and a certificate in Cinematography at UCLA after grad school. Don’t let other people say what you can and can't do.
Where are you now? We go between Los Angeles for work and our "in the middle of no where" farm in Missouri. I’m a country girl at heart.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment? Another hard question, owning my own companies is probably the biggest one. At 28, I had my own C-Corp as a Lighting Designer and moving light programmer. Now I own 1973 Productions, LLC with my husband of 15 years.
Why would you recommend Penn State to future students? You have options with Penn State. Start local with a branch campus, go to main campus, change you major, study through the online programs. It's about choices and the flexibility that comes with the choice of Penn State. And I have friends to this day that I met at Penn State who I never would have met going to another university. I went to Iceland and Edinburgh last fall with one of them. You come to Penn State and you gain this giant family you never knew you needed.
Any advice to current/future students: Make the choice, commit, stay focused and nothing will stop you from reaching your goals. Then set new goals.
Anything else you would like to share? “We Are!"
Meet Melissa
Name: Melissa Fowler
Role: Administrative Support Coordinator for Academic Affairs
When did you graduate? I graduated in 2004 from Slippery Rock University (SRU) with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a minor in International Relations. While in college, I traveled to London for a Historical Methods course and I served as the president of the SRU chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, an American Honor Society for History.
What is your favorite Penn State memory? Anytime I can laugh with my coworkers and interact with our amazing students, I am making memories that are all my favorite!
Who has made an impact on your life? My parents. They have always encouraged me to try new experiences, to believe that I am capable of great things, to show love and kindness, and to always see the good in others. They are two of the greatest humans I know!
One surprising fact about yourself: I'm a songwriter. Not a famous one. But I like to compose.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment? Helping to establish the Shenango Staff Advisory Council. Since its formation, our organization has created two effective programs (Fuel for the Future and the Nittany Nook) to help our current students. Fuel for the Future provides fuel cards to students entering unpaid internships or clinical rotations. And the Nittany Nook, a campus food pantry, helps combat food insecurity. Both programs are entirely funded through the generous donations of our staff and faculty.
Why would you recommend Penn State to future students? Our campus has the best people! We want our students to be successful in their academic careers and beyond and will help them navigate through every situation.
Any advice to current/future students: Don't be afraid to fail. We learn and grow more through our failures, than through our successes. Embrace change. And always believe that you are worth more than you can imagine!
Anything else you would like to share? Remember to smile. There's always something to be grateful for.
