Student Services

First-generation student Camren found “a mentor who felt like family,” and a community that would shape her Penn State journey at the Liberal Arts Chaiken Center for Student Success. She was paired with peer mentor Kaisha Garvin-Darby (’24 Psychology), who shared her academic and career interests.

The transition from Delany’s hometown in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to college was not easy as a first-generation college student. “You’re the first for everything — the first to figure out the future for your family and beyond.” Delany’s turning point came when she visited a Liberal Arts peer adviser and heard about the Liberal Arts Chaiken Center for Student Success. Facing financial uncertainty, she connected with center Director Patty Klug, who introduced her to the Chaiken Scholars program and other resources.

Jasmin started at Penn State Altoona before transferring to University Park as a second-year student. Together with Patty Klug, Jasmin created the “change-of-campus lead mentor” role at the Liberal Arts Chaiken Center. In this position, Jasmin has been given the opportunity to build the initial framework and foundation of the position and work to develop the mentorship, support and resources. She advocates for more resources on behalf of her peers to ensure other first-gen and change-of-campus students aren’t left to navigate campus alone.

On campus, Alexa serves as a peer success coach in the Liberal Arts Chaiken Center, a role she described as an honor and a responsibility. “I wanted to be the help I received from the coaches and everyone in the center when I first arrived at Penn State.”

This past summer, Alexa received hands-on experience as an intern at Erimo Abogados, an immigration law firm in Madrid, Spain. Working entirely in Spanish, she assisted with legal documentation and traveled to different government offices to request paperwork. All aspects of the internship worked to the general goal of helping clients navigate Spain’s immigration system. This experience was partially funded by the Chaiken Center Endowment.

Reflecting on her own experiences, Diana shared that her first year of college was a difficult one, marked by academic struggles and challenges in getting involved. She started attending Liberal Arts Chaiken Center events regularly and soon learned about the opportunity to become a peer success coach, realizing it would be a great way to support students going through similar struggles.