We Are
Paterno Fellows
Paterno Fellows are challenged to reach the highest levels of academic achievement and distinguish themselves in areas traditionally associated with the liberal arts: ethics, service, and leadership; excellence in communication; and intercultural awareness. The program’s rigorous challenges are coupled with significant rewards. Fellows receive financial support to participate in enriching out-of-class experiences like internships, study abroad, and research. And, the program is one of the only pathways at the university for students not initially admitted as honors students to demonstrate their potential and earn their way into the Schreyer Honors College.
Today’s Fellows are the face of the Paterno Legacy at Penn State. Support from alumni like you allows them to pursue an education of exceptional depth, ambition, and distinction. Support the Fellows.
Hundreds of students aspire to become Paterno Fellows each year.
These are their stories.
Brenna Fisher
Criminology and Sociology Major
Being the best person you can be while helping others and serving your community are fundamental tenet that help define Brenna Fisher; not surprisingly, they are also fundamental pillars of the Paterno Fellows Program to which Brenna belongs. As she says, it’s important to “put your best foot forward and be able to show people … you didn’t just go to college, you went above and beyond.”
– Joe Paterno
John Miller
English Major
John says the Paterno Fellows Program and being a liberal arts major have helped him develop a greater worldly perspective, improve his communication skills, and see how people experience life in different ways—traits that will benefit the English major on his unique path to medical school.
– Sue Paterno
Carl Boswell ’14
Global Data Analyst, Bloomberg L.P.
Carl embraced the Paterno Fellows Program’s challenge to stretch himself to new limits by excelling in the classroom, completing two internships, and studying abroad in Argentina. Today, he credits those experiences for giving him the courage to stretch even further and thrive in his young career with the world’s leading provider of business and financial information.
– Joe Paterno
Carolina Spiess
Psychology Major
Carolina embodies the ideals of service that are at the very core of the Paterno Fellows Program. An aspiring HR professional, she spent a semester in Germany helping refugees acclimate to German culture and preparing them to enter the workforce. The Program supported Carolina as she advanced her own professional ambitions while working in service of something larger than herself.
– Joe Paterno
Jule Walsh
Penn Law Student
Being a Paterno Fellow inspired Jule to pursue transformational learning opportunities in and out of the classroom. In addition to completing an internship with a U.S. Senator, Jule traveled to Sri Lanka to study the inner workings of a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of impoverished girls. Her transformation continues today as a first-year student at one of the nation’s most prestigious law schools.
– Sue Paterno