Greetings from 101 Atherton Hall! I hope this message finds each of you well, wherever you are.
Do you like change? I do! I enjoy varying many things about my life like where I sit in my office and my commute to work. The changes that take place at University Park – and across all Penn State campuses – throughout the year are especially enjoyable. The fall buzzes with energy, the spring showcases our drive and determination while the summer brings a peaceful solitude.
On the other hand, I value the serenity of a routine. I carve out time each morning for some exercise and writing. I love that I can count on my bicycle, my treadmill and my journal to be the same every time I work with them. These habits – the exercise in particular – help to lower the noise around me, invigorate me and set my compass, so to speak.
A change that I’ve made to my routine recently is focusing on and expressing gratitude. Dr. Peggy Delong is a licensed psychologist who hosts workshops that showcase how to do that every day in a practical, positive way. We’re fortunate that she visited our staff twice this year to work on setting and following through on intentions to thank others even if we’re busy or going through a difficult time.
Peggy has helped us learn how to think about, talk about and write about gratitude in our daily activities, which will play a big role in supporting our Scholars’ successes. By sharing expressions of appreciation, we can make this living-learning community a more joyful place. Our Scholars can feel the culture, and seeing the College’s professionals treat each other respectfully while expressing gratitude makes them more likely to adopt and carry forward that culture at Penn State and beyond.
To me, gratitude is about reflecting positively on the present and the past. In the present, I think about what remarkable individuals Schreyer Scholars are. They achieve so much in and out of the classroom and often express appreciation for the help they receive along the way. I also appreciate our Scholar alumni’s generosity of time and resources on the students’ behalf. Invariably, when I meet with our alumni, they ask how they can help us with any unmet needs. Knowing so many of our 17,000 Scholar alumni want to engage with the College is exciting.
From this past academic year, I’m grateful that we were able to do some cool things for the betterment of the student experience. I’m proud of how Scholars stepped into roles as peer educators, peer leaders and Scholar ambassadors. Nothing gives me more joy than being in the back of the room and watching our students shine as they lead a class, an admissions event or a meeting with future Scholars.
Those reflections leave me knowing that Schreyer Honors College is so much bigger than this moment in time, and I feel fortunate to be a part of it. Here we are in 2024. Schreyer has existed for a while – 27 years as a college and 17 years before that as the University Scholars Program – and it’s going to stay around far into the future. At the end of my career, I’ll be able to look back and appreciate that. And I have so much gratitude for the Scholars past, present and future who make it possible. We Are!
Patrick T. Mather, PhD
Dean, Schreyer Honors College
The Pennsylvania State University
