Emma Suzuki Szwajkowski sits down with first-generation student Haley Parker and Director of the Chaiken Center for Student Success, Patty Klug. Topics range from Haley's inspiring route to Penn State and goals for her time at Penn State to the self-identity of first-generation students and where they can go to get a sense of the resources available to them. Don't miss it!

Host Ladin Suliman speaks with Jeremy Engels, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences and Barry Director of the Paterno Fellows Program. Jeremy shares personal stories about the meaning of honors programs, the value of college, and the importance of pursuing opportunities available to students. Join them for an inspiring conversation about undergraduate life!

Hosts Emma Suzuki Szwajkowski and Ladin Suliman talk with Sophia McClennen, professor of international affairs and comparative literature at Penn State. She is an accomplished writer on the topic of political satire as well as the founding director of the Center for Global Studies. They discuss the meaning and importance of political satire as well as how her upbringing and cultural background have influenced her interests today.

Host Ladin Suliman sits down with Simon Haeder, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, for a conversation as broad-ranging as Professor Haeder's research interests! Simon and Ladin discuss the meaning of academia, COVID-19 mandates, the difference between people who are vaccine hesitant and vaccine resistant, and much more.

Paterno Fellow Nick Malizia joins hosts Ladin Suliman and Erin Flannery to talk about his semester hiking the Appalachian Trail. Join us for a conversation about his creative senior thesis idea, learn how his experience has dismantled stereotypes about northern and southern culture, and hear about how he’s managing the physical toll of the hike. All this and much more in this wide-ranging episode!

Nick invites us to follow his experiences on his blog “as I interview hikers, speak to locals from Georgia to Maine, observe regional culture, examine the effect of the pandemic on Appalachia, and tell the story of a neurotic, 150 pound twenty-year-old hiking far too long in far too real a world across the Eastern United States.”

Winners of this year’s Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest join host Erin Flannery to discuss the essay prompt, "What is the purpose of a university?" Students shared their insights and things got heated! Join us for an impassioned conversation about the place of the university in society, the role activism has played in shaping it, and the challenges it faces in the twenty-first century.

Essay contest winners: Ezra Gershanok (first place), Taran Samarth (second place), Carley Anne Palkon (third place), Nicole D’Amico (honorable mention), and Elijah St. Pierre (honorable mention)

In this episode, host Ladin Suliman talks about study abroad experiences with Susan Knell, Director of the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network, along with students Srishti Ponnala, Charles Ryan, and Ezra Gershanok. We learn more about the application process, hear what makes study abroad so much fun, and even get some secret tips about writing successful applications. Join us for an essential discussion relevant to all Paterno Fellows!

Come one, come all! Start your new semester with the first episode of the Paterno Fellows Podcast.

This episode features director Jeremy Engels in conversation with past directors Jack Selzer and Cathy Wanner about the history of the program. All three directors also offer advice and words of wisdom for being successful at Penn State.