FRIGHTENING FAMILY FUN: Thousands of students, alumni, and visitors braved the spooky confines of University House in October, part of the annual Haunted Valley festivities during Penn State's Family Weekend.
Future Leaders
This year’s cohort of Young Alumni Ambassadors is getting a crash course in leadership, volunteerism, and the power of the Penn State network.
The yearlong Young Alumni Ambassadors program, developed by the Alumni Association in part through the generosity of longtime supporters Peter and Ann Tombros, provides eager new alumni with a slate of online workshops, in-person leadership training, and strategic alumni connections to help them succeed professionally, personally, and—hopefully—as future alumni volunteers.
“This program enhances the postgraduation experience for young alumni by connecting them to seasoned mentors, resources, and group leaders throughout the country,” Peter Tombros ’64, ’68 MS Agr said. “This generation of alumni engages with Penn State and the Alumni Association in different ways, and we want them to be involved in shaping the future.”
The 2025-26 Young Alumni Ambassadors are:
■ Roman Bahadursingh ’25 Bus, a Juris Doctor candidate at the University of Pennsylvania.
■ Cheyenne Bastian-Brown ’25 Agr, who’s traveling the country as the American Beekeeping Foundation’s 2025 American Honey Queen to promote pollinator awareness and agricultural education.
■ Olivia Crocco ’25 Sci, who supports patient health and safety at UPMC Wellsboro through her work in environmental services.
■ Maurielle Evans ’25 Hbg, a therapeutic riding instructor at Leg Up Farm who studied cybersecurity.
■ Raj Gandhi ’25 Eng, a quality engineer at Gentex Corporation focusing on continuous improvement initiatives.
■ Brooklynn Jones ’25 Lib, a first-year law student at UMass School of Law.
■ Emma Khoury ’25 Sci, a medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University.
■ Lindsay Leber ’25 EMS, who’s pursuing her master’s degree in Space Systems through Embry-Riddle’s Worldwide program while working as a tour guide at Lost River Caverns.
■ Mary O’Connor ’25 Sci, a patient care technician at Yale New Haven Hospital.
■ Alexandra Pepe ’25, ’25 MAcc Bus, a transaction advisory analyst at Alvarez and Marsal in New York City.
■ Alexander Pretka ’24 Sci, ’24 Lib, ’25 MS IST, who’s pursuing a one-year MBA through the Smeal College of Business while serving as a graduate assistant for residence life.
■ Zion Sykes ’25 Lib, assistant director of annual leadership gifts in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations at Penn State.
■ Joe Thompson ’24 EMS WC, a commissioning coordinator at e-STORAGE, supporting utility-scale battery energy storage projects across multiple continents.
■ Elizabeth Wesdock ’24, ’24 MA Edu, who coordinates scholarship programming at the Carson Scholars Fund, supporting exceptional students nationwide.
Member Benefit
Blue & White Financial Services
Membership in the Alumni Association gives you access to affordable financial services through PSECU, a digital-first credit union that offers Penn Staters several ways to show your pride, including the Alumni Rewards Credit Card, the Alumni Classic Card, and the Alumni Debit Card. And for any fan who applies to the credit union and is not yet an Alumni Association member, PSECU will pay the association’s membership dues for the first year!
Save the Date
June 26-27: We Are Weekend
Alumni and their families get VIP treatment at this annual reunion weekend. Highlights include an ice cream social at Hintz Family Alumni Center, a dinner honoring the Class of 1976, and guided tours of many of University Park’s most famous facilities. Register at alumni.psu.edu.
Feb. 11: AI’s Role in Hiring
This in-depth webinar breaks down the key components of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and how they use AI to filter résumés and assess candidate qualifications, plus offers best practices for job seekers to optimize their résumés for ATS algorithms. alumni.psu.edu/alumni-career-services
FEB. 21: THON white-out
The Alumni Association sponsors a White-Out Pep Rally on the Saturday of THON weekend that’s full of school pride and fun For The Kids. The Feb. 20-22 dance marathon at the BJC benefits Four Diamonds. Visit Thon.org for details.
From the Archives
The Lions' New Den
It’s been 30 years since the Bryce Jordan Center began hosting events—its first two were the Jan. 6, 1996, commencement ceremony, followed a few days later by a men’s basketball win over Minnesota. In the November/December 1995 issue, the Penn Stater chronicled the university’s arduous effort to get its largest indoor facility up and running. Read the full story.
Chapters & Groups
Upper Chesapeake Chapter
A dozen members and friends of the Upper Chesapeake Chapter participated in the group’s annual Lock House Cleanup, a day of helping at the Lock House Museum in Havre de Grace, Md. The chapter has been partnering with the museum since the early 1990s.
IST Alumni Society
The IST Alumni Society hosted the College of Information Sciences and Technology’s third annual IST Alumni Symposium in October. It featured keynote speakers and breakout sessions on AI, cybersecurity, and more, plus the presentation of awards honoring three of the college’s graduates: Julio Ortiz ’02 Bus, ’08 PhD IST (Dean’s Alumni Excellence Award), Michael Whang ’21 IST (IST Emerging Professional Award), and Steve Sharer ’11 IST (IST Outstanding Alumni Award).
Phoenix Chapter
Several Phoenix Chapter members participated in the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K walk in October, in memory of former chapter president Tamara Abromitis ’07 Com, who battled breast cancer and died in 2024. The chapter has established the Tamara Abromitis Spirit Award in her memory.
Have news to share from your chapter, AIG, or alumni society? Send it to rsr3@psu.edu.
Volunteer Spotlight
Kristen McMullen ’89 H&HD, President, Charleston Chapter
There are those who tiptoe into volunteerism, and those who dive in headfirst. Kristen McMullen ’89 H&HD is a diver.
“Everywhere I’ve been, the first thing I do is contact the local chapter and say, ‘How can I get involved?’” says McMullen, who over many years and many moves has served as the president or a board member of alumni chapters in southern Connecticut, State College, Raleigh, N.C., and Charleston, S.C. She’s on her second stint as president of the Charleston Chapter, where fellow volunteers are rallying five neighboring alumni chapters to co-sponsor a golf tournament fundraiser in March, the Blue and White Classic, to benefit their scholarship fund.
Her dedication to Penn State began as a student, when she was president of a service sorority, on the planning committee for THON, and performed as a Blue Band Silk during the football team’s 1986 national championship season. “My Penn State experience was the absolute best,” she says.
Support PSAA
HELP GROW THE TRADITION
Did you know that when you purchase an heirloom-quality item from the Penn State Elms Collection, a portion is donated toward planting trees at University Park? So, not only are you giving a second life to the majestic elms that once stood on campus, but you’re helping to ensure that future Penn Staters can make memories on a campus as picturesque as it was in your day. Visit www.pennstateelmscollection.com to purchase your piece of Penn State.
LEAVE YOUR MARK ON CAMPUS
Since the fall of 2021, almost 1,700 Penn State alumni and loved ones have added their names and messages of pride to the Alumni Plaza outside the Hintz Family Alumni Center. Proceeds from the pavers, available in three sizes, fund the Alumni Association’s student groups—Blue & White Society and Lion Ambassadors—and support FastStart, a mentoring program for underrepresented students. Adding your personal paver to the Alumni Plaza is a great way to commemorate your time at Dear Old State, and pay it forward to the next generation of Nittany Lions. Place your order by Feb. 1 to be included in this spring’s installation. alumni.psu.edu/alumniplaza
2026 Alumni Council
Nominate yourself for a spot on Alumni Council to help support past, current, and future Penn Staters.
Penn State alumni who are members of the Alumni Association and are interested in being elected to the 2026 Alumni Council have until Jan. 15 to self-nominate for ballot consideration. Alumni Council is the Alumni Association’s all-volunteer governing body that advises and guides the association on its programs and initiatives and helps to shape and influence its policies and direction. Council meets twice a year for two-day meetings, and members attend committee meetings by phone between those in-person sessions. After the Jan. 15 nomination form deadline, the council’s Nominating Committee will review the completed nomination forms and select a slate of candidates for the annual election in May. Alumni members of the Alumni Association are eligible to vote in that election. For more information, including frequently asked questions about being part of Alumni Council, visit alumni.psu.edu/elections.
