Host Emma Suzuki Szwajkowski talks with graduating Paterno Fellow, Steven Zhang, who reflects on his time in the program. Learn how the Paterno Fellows Program helped him, what advice he has for prospective Paterno Fellows, the transformational courses and experiences he has taken because of the Paterno Fellows Program, pointers on thesis writing, and much more!

Host Ladin Suliman speaks with owners and managers of downtown State College businesses Appalachian Outdoors, W.C. Clarke's Cheese Shoppe, and India Pavilion, to get their takes on the changing economic landscape of the area. Learn about how these businesses have survived the turmoil of the pandemic, how they manage a constantly changing customer base, and what they see for the future of State College.

Hosts Kate Howarth and Emma Suzuki Szwajkowski sit down with Catherine Wanner, Professor of History, Anthropology, and Religious Studies, expert on Ukraine, and former director of the Paterno Fellows Program! Don't miss this timely, in-depth discussion on the current state of the war, what led Ukraine to this point, and what comes next for the conflict, the country, and the region as a whole.

Ladin Suliman hosts Collegiate Laws of Life Essay Contest winners Michael Mitole and Lorin Harris for a fascinating exploration of university education. Topics include the meaning of university education, reflection on transformative experiences gained there, and much, much more.

Read the winning essays at bit.ly/PFP-essay-contest.

Host Emma Suzuki Szwajkowski has a conversation with Thomas Yonke, Warren Sipe, and Shreya Bibra of the Nittany Lion Fund and their experiences with their leadership roles in the organization. Learn more about this impressive student-run hedge fund, Thomas, Warren, and Shreya's aspirations after college, advice to incoming and new Nittany Lion Fund members, and so much more!

Ladin Suliman hosts Jeffrey Hayes, Professor of Education; Baron Rogers, Staff Psychologist, Counseling and Psychological Services; and students Emma Suzuki Szwajkowski and Kiki Baez for a discussion about mental health on college campuses. Which majors are most associated with mental health issues? Least associated? What should we do with the expectations society places on college students? What role does identity play in mental health? Join us for answers to these questions and more.

Things get deep in this episode of the podcast! Ladin Suliman hosts Paterno Fellow Harry Brennan for a conversation about his Students Teaching Students class which introduces undergraduates to the thought of Deleuze and Guattari. We learn more about the STS program, Harry's goal of becoming a philosophy professor, and much more besides. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion!

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.

UPDATE April 2022: In May 2021, Paterno Fellow Nick Malizia joined hosts Ladin Suliman and Erin Flannery to talk about his semester hiking the Appalachian Trail. Now that Nick is graduating and has written his thesis on the experience, we thought we’d follow up and ask Nick for his reflections on his journey from Georgia to Maine a year after the original podcast.
 
“I reached Mount Katahdin on June 20, 113 days after I started my journey in Georgia. The trail kicked my butt. When I finished, I weighed about 140 pounds, and I only had five toenails left (worth it). After returning home, I wasn’t sure how I’d changed or what I’d learned, or if I had learned anything at all. The writing process helped me parse through my thoughts and experiences. With a few months of separation, hindsight kicked in and I felt like I was able to use my journals and memories to tell a cohesive story. I often found myself surprised by what I was writing; the process of remembering, of writing, and rewriting helped me shape the raw experience into a story I wasn’t even aware of at the time I was hiking. I feel like I have a greater appreciation for the role of writing in storytelling and in self-growth.”

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.