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Beyond the Classroom

Beyond the Classroom
Beyond the Classroom
Liberal Arts students and faculty complete archeological research.
Liberal Arts students and faculty complete archeological research.
97
%

of students who apply for enrichment funding receive it.

Take your Liberal Arts education outside the classroom

Out-of-classroom experiences—internships, education abroad, research, student organizations, and other professional development—provide you with the opportunity to use the knowledge you learn in the classroom in real-world settings. In addition to getting you career-ready—one of Dean Lang’s top priorities—these experiences allow you to step out of your comfort zones, cultivate intangible skills, and find your passions. 

In the College of the Liberal Arts, our Student Services offices don’t just help you prepare for and find out-of-classroom opportunities; we also support you every step of the way, including financially. Enrichment funding through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network is available to fund internships, education abroad, and research. 

Meet with a career coach in the Career Enrichment Network to learn more about out-of-classroom opportunities. 

Internships

Each year, hundreds of Penn State Liberal Arts students complete internships in the private sector, government, and nonprofits. Internships allow students to gain real-world experience by applying what you’ve learned in the classroom. In recent years, our students have interned everywhere from Fortune 500 companies and the White House to local non-profits and government.  

Throughout my time in the Nittany Lion Fund, I have gone through a variety of different roles, from learning financial modeling to understanding financial statements of companies and from building presentations to networking and other soft skills. These skills are used every day at my internship [at Goldman Sachs] and have helped me succeed.
Dylan Benson graduated from Penn State in fall 2023.
Dylan Benson
Taylor Needleman, a Criminology major who interned with the U.S. Marshals Service in the summer of 2022, stands in front of the United States Courthouse where she worked every day
Taylor Needleman, a Criminology major who interned with the U.S. Marshals Service in the summer of 2022, stands in front of the United States Courthouse where she worked every day.
Penn State student, Kenneth Catlin will graduate in 2024.
InternshipPolitical ScienceSustainability

Kenneth Catlin

’24
Political Science
|
Economics (minor)
Political Science
Economics (minor)
Kenneth spent the summer working as an energy benchmarking analyst for Pittsburgh’s Department of City Planning, via Penn State’s City Semester Pittsburgh program. Through the program, students become active participants in Penn State’s efforts to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which include improving the quality of life of metropolitan areas. During his internship Kenneth, benchmarked energy use reported by about 830 buildings across Pittsburgh. Towards the end of this summer, he will put together a report on the city’s energy usage and present it to his team.
Sydney McQuiggan graduated from Penn State in summer 2023.
GermanInternship

Sydney McQuiggan

’23
German
|
World Languages Education
|
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (minor)
German
World Languages Education
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (minor)
Sydney practiced her German skills firsthand this past spring by teaching beginning- and intermediate-level German as a student teacher at Altoona Area High School in Pennsylvania. That experience, combined with her own coursework, has helped her develop a nuanced view for teaching German to students. “Some students say they will never be able to travel abroad, and some say they don’t have an interest in traveling to Germany — but that’s not the focus of the German classroom. My teaching perspective moves toward building a classroom community and understanding a culture different from our own, which allows for more students to be immersed in learning.”
Dylan Benson graduated from Penn State in fall 2023.
Chapel InternsInternship

Dylan Benson

’23
Chinese
|
Finance
Chinese
Finance
Dylan is forging international connections with finance professionals and business leaders at Goldman Sachs this summer in London, United Kingdom. Thanks to funding from the Chapel Executive Internship Program, Dylan is able to explore and travel around the surrounding European countries alongside his internship duties.
Penn State student, Ima Bazan will graduate with a bachelor's degree in 2024.
Career Enrichment NetworkGlobal and International StudiesInternational PoliticsInternship

Ima Bazan

’24
International Politics
|
Global and International Studies
|
International Affairs (master’s)
International Politics
Global and International Studies
International Affairs (master’s)
With support from the Career Enrichment Network, both financial and social, Ima was able to land an internship with Justice Desk Africa in Cape Town, South Africa. The human rights nonprofit empowers everyday activists to fight gender-based violence and toxic masculinity and provide positive role models for individuals throughout South African townships. As part of his internship, Ima focused on the iNtsika yeThemba Project, which works with boys affected by gender-based violence.
Penn State student, Paris Pavelchik stands in front of the DuPont logo at their office in Midland, Michigan.
Chapel InternsInternshipPaterno FellowsSchreyer Scholar

Paris Pavelchik

’26
Architechtural Engineering
|
French and Francophone Studies
|
Mathematics (minor)
|
Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation (minor)
|
Music Performance (minor)
Architechtural Engineering
French and Francophone Studies
Mathematics (minor)
Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation (minor)
Music Performance (minor)
Paris, a Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar, spent her summer in Midland, Michigan as a performance building solutions intern with DuPont. She said her internship experience has allowed her to obtain the knowledge and connections she needs to further her career and work toward her professional goal of working historic restoration projects throughout Europe following graduation.
Penn State student, Gargee Gosavi will graduate in 2024.
Chapel InternsInternshipLabor and Human ResourcesPsychology

Gargee Gosavi

’24
Psychology
|
Labor and Human Resources (minor)
Psychology
Labor and Human Resources (minor)
At her internship at JLG industries in Hagerstown, Maryland, Gargee worked on resolving work-related conflicts, aiding employee retention and identifying workplace productivity issues. Gargee credits her Liberal Arts classes for her ability to contextualize workplace issues within a business framework. One particular class helped her learn how labor and human relations can affect and drive a business to success. “It resonated with me and what I was learning in psychology — how brain functioning affects people’s biological functioning, wellbeing and behavior. I’ve been using my internship to apply the concept of optimal human functioning into the work scenarios I investigate to find places for advancement.”

Education Abroad

Excavate along the Mediterranean Sea. Research in Australia. Develop language skills in China. Every year, thousands of Penn State students engage the world through academic programs, research, service, internships, and cultural immersion. In the College of the Liberal Arts, we believe that global experiences can play an integral role in personal, academic, and career development. International experiences offer students the opportunity to set themselves apart through intercultural competency, expanded resourcefulness, and experience navigating new contexts. 

Liberal Arts students can choose any program offered by Penn State. However, the College of the Liberal Arts curates education abroad programs to fit with our majors. Interested students can explore our faculty-led embedded programs or see what Penn State has to offer 

Three Liberal Arts students embrace and smile at the camera while studying abroad in Spain.
Three Liberal Arts students embrace and smile at the camera while studying abroad in Spain.
Nina Castillo Schoonewolff participated in the “Organized Crime in Curaçao” embedded program offered by the College of the Liberal Arts.
Academic AdvisingCareer Enrichment NetworkEducation AbroadGlobal and International StudiesInternational Politics

Nina Castillo Schoonewolff

’24
International Politics
|
Global and International Studies
International Politics
Global and International Studies
With support from her academic advisers and the Career Enrichment Network, Nina spent a semester studying in Milan, Italy. There she took courses in psychology, political science and Italian. “It was such a surreal experience. I was speechless getting to experience and appreciate all the architecture and history.”
Victor Frolenko is a peer mentor in the Roz and Gene Chaiken Center for Student Success in the College of the Liberal Arts.
Campus LeaderChaiken ScholarEducation AbroadFirst-GenSpanish

Victor Frolenko

’25
Spanish
|
Nutritional Sciences
|
Neuroscience (minor)
Spanish
Nutritional Sciences
Neuroscience (minor)
Chaiken Scholar, Victor, connects with other students through his numerous extracurricular involvements, which combine his passions for dance, food and helping others. Originally, only planning to major in the sciences, Victor learned about the flexible curriculum offered by the College of the Liberal Arts from a career coach in the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network. He then added the Spanish major to his academic plan, and it took him beyond the confines of the classroom to Ronda, Spain, for an education abroad experience. There, Victor stayed with a host family in a full cultural immersion and attended classes on Spanish customs, history and language.
Nije’e Patton-Johns will graduate from Penn State in 2025.
Chaiken ScholarEducation AbroadKoreanPsychology

Nije’e Patton-Johns

’25
Psychology
|
Korean Language (minor)
|
Human Development and Family Studies (minor)
Psychology
Korean Language (minor)
Human Development and Family Studies (minor)
Chaiken Scholar, Nije’e won a competitive Gilman Scholarship, which provides up to $5,000 for undergraduates to study abroad. She utilized the funds to travel to South Korea, where she continued taking psychology classes. She also practiced the Korean language—in which she hopes to eventually become fluent.
DanielZahn (1)
Career Enrichment NetworkCommunication Arts and SciencesEducation AbroadEnglishEnrichment FundingPaterno FellowsPhilosophyResearch

Daniel Zahn

’20
English
|
Philosophy
|
Communication Arts and Sciences
English
Philosophy
Communication Arts and Sciences
As a student, Daniel, a Paterno Fellow alumnus, participated in a linguistics research project in Bassila, Benin made possible by the Career Enrichment Network, where his research focused on everyday language use.
LyndsayRathbun (1)
AnthropologyCourse SpotlightEducation AbroadEmbedded Course

Lyndsay Rathbun

’22
Anthropology
|
Italian
Anthropology
Italian
After spending time in Bologna and Florence, Italy as part of the Liberal Arts embedded course IT 175/SC 475N Anatomy in Italy, Lyndsay said one of her favorite experiences of the trip was meeting medical students from the University of Bologna.
TaylorNeedleman (1)
Course SpotlightCriminologyEducation AbroadEmbedded Course

Taylor Needleman

’24
Criminology
Criminology
Taylor spent a week in Curaçao as part of CRIM 425, and in addition to experiencing different cultures within a criminology context, she said she appreciated how the shorter trip allowed her to determine if she might enjoy a longer, future education abroad experience.

Research

Students and faculty in the College of the Liberal Arts are working on timely and relevant research with impactful, real-world implications. There are many great opportunities for Liberal Arts students to become involved in research with funds available to facilitate or enhance your research project or to work on a meaningful faculty-led research project during the academic year or summer. The experience allows students to develop skills that will be attractive to future employers and can also help students decide whether to pursue a graduate degree.  

Sydney Robinson, an English and Global and International Studies major, completes climate change research in Romania during the summer of 2022.
Sydney Robinson, an English and Global and International Studies major, completes climate change research in Romania during the summer of 2022.
Sarah Paterno
Enrichment FundingInternational ResearchUndergrad Research

Sarah Paterno

’22
Anthropology
|
Psychology
Anthropology
Psychology
Sarah received enrichment funding to spend two months on an archaeological excavation in Bolivia. “This project has taught me how archaeological research is carried out, and I believe it has prepared me for continuing research at a graduate level,” she said.
CadenVitti
SpanishUndergrad Research

Caden Vitti

’23
Spanish
|
Energy Engineering
Spanish
Energy Engineering
Caden spent his summer completing sociolinguistic research in Puerto Rico. He was selected by the Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) program, which is housed in the College of the Liberal Arts. The program provides students who have an interest in linguistics research with funding to travel to a country for six to eight weeks to conduct research.
MelodyMunitz (1)
PsychologyUndergrad Research

Melody Munitz

’22
Psychology
|
Musical Theatre
Psychology
Musical Theatre
Melody was a researcher in the Empathy and Moral Psychology Lab, which studies the affective and motivational mechanisms involved in empathy and moral decision-making. “My Liberal Arts education crafted me into a well-rounded scholar with the knowledge and skill to forge a path of unique interdisciplinary work. I will carry with me not only the specific material I learned in classes, but also the spirit of scientific skepticism, unending inquiry, and creative collaboration that was instilled in me.”
LuisinaKemanianLeites
ArabicEnrichment FundingInternational PoliticsLatin American StudiesMiddle East StudiesPaterno FellowsSpanishUndergrad Research

Luisina Kemanian-Leites

’23
International Politics
|
Arabic minor
|
Middle East Studies minor
|
Spanish minor
|
Latin American Studies minor
International Politics
Arabic minor
Middle East Studies minor
Spanish minor
Latin American Studies minor
Luisina received funding from the Career Enrichment Network and Paterno Fellows Program to complete research in the Children, Media, and Conflict Zones Lab at Penn State. She plans to study human rights law after graduation.
CarterGangl
PsychologyUndergrad Research

Carter Gangl

’23
Psychology
|
Women's Studies minor
Psychology
Women's Studies minor
Carter is a research assistant in the Underrepresented Perspectives Lab at Penn State, which focuses on underrepresented individuals who are often left out of psychological research. Carter heard about the lab through one of their professors. The experience combines Carter’s interest in psychology and their passion for social justice and change.
EmmaCohen (1)
EconomicsPaterno FellowsPolitical ScienceUndergrad Research

Emma Cohen

’22
Political Science
|
Economics
|
Statistics minor
Political Science
Economics
Statistics minor
Emma, a Paterno Fellow, was a research assistant for the Department of Political Science. “I think the College of the Liberal Arts has given me a very broad worldview, which will allow me to bring in new perspectives in my future jobs. I like that I have learned to look at problems from different perspectives than most people.”

Professional Development

It’s never too early to start assessing your strengths and taking steps to develop the skills and tools you need to prepare for your future. By taking advantage of all of the resources the Career Enrichment Network provides to students, you will be better prepared to go out into the world and succeed. 

The Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program connects current undergraduate students with an alumni mentor. Students meet regularly with their mentor who helps them navigate academic, professional, and extracurricular experiences. 

Explore the Alumni Mentor Program

Held each January, Liberal Arts Career Week is designed to provide professional development and networking opportunities that will support your future career paths. By participating in the week’s employer and alumni panels, workshops, and networking events, you can learn the skills you will need to embark on your career journey and achieve success in your professional lives. Join the Career Enrichment Network and take advantage of all the great events and networking opportunities. 

Learn more about the Liberal Arts Career Week

The Career Enrichment Network also provides resources to help you develop self-knowledge around career paths, explore occupational and educational information, and strategize your career planning through job applications, interview assistance, and negotiation.

Find more professional development opportunities

A Liberal Arts student networks with an employer at Liberal Arts Career Week 2020.
A Liberal Arts student networks with an employer at Liberal Arts Career Week 2020.
Kenzie Flanders, president of the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council, leads a meeting of the organization in the fall of 2022.
Kenzie Flanders, president of the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council, leads a meeting of the organization in the fall of 2022.

Student Organizations

Students in the College of the Liberal Arts can be found in leadership positions of student organizations across campus, including academic, international, multicultural, philanthropic, and political organizations, as well as student government, honor societies, and Greek life.  

Additional Opportunities

Paid and volunteer work through student organizations or part-time jobs can be valuable ways to spend time outside the classroom and develop your professional skills.

English classroom photo

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