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FastStart: Spring, 2007 Newsletter
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(written by members of the FastStart Student Advisory Group)

This issue includes:

Senior Spotlight: Jennifer Velasquez
FastStart's Spring Events
Giving Back Over Spring Break
In the Words of First-Year Students
FastStart Advertisements

Questions
We welcome your comments and questions. To get involved, please call 814-863-6386 or e-mail FastStartInfo@psu.edu .

FastStart Event Rundown
By Kevin Lum (Sophomore, Engineering)

Our Annual Fall Celebration took place on December 15, 2006 in the HUB-Robeson Center’s, Heritage Hall. For FastStart, the fall celebration serves as a way to acknowledge some of our most important members in years past who are graduating and moving on from their undergraduate studies here at Penn State. This December, we sent off 16 graduates into the real world with three FastStart Advisory Board members among the grads. Betsy Roy, Jeney Joseph, and Bernice Innocence played a crucial part in every facet of FastStart from the very beginning. We are happy for their graduation, but we will surely miss them.

This year, several Advisory Board members helped to organize the event. Jennifer Velasquez, Chanell Autrey, Anna Han, and Shartaya Mollett all deserve special thanks for helping to arrange the event from the tablecloths to prizes and everything else in between. And, as always, we would like to thank the Paul Robeson Cultural Center for allowing us to carry out our Fall Celebration at Heritage Hall.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service marks one of the most important events for FastStart. On January 20, 2007 FastStart joined Penn State in its day of commemoration of Dr. King by committing ourselves to service and improving our community. FastStart students joined forces with the Caribbean Student Association to help with construction at the Tri-County Habitat for Humanity house of Centre County. It was a very cold Saturday afternoon in Centre County, but both groups braced themselves for the work ahead and made a significant impact toward completing the installation of floor joists and sub-flooring. Habitat for Humanity is an organization that helps
low-income families gain home ownership. Special thanks to all who joined Teresa and participated in this important event.

The annual Ice Skating Party at the Penn State Ice Pavilion in the Greenburg Indoor Sports Complex on February 24, 2007 was lots of fun for everyone who hit the ice. As in past years, we took away some fabulous memories and some sore behinds. But it was all worth it for the fun had and with hot cocoa, pizza, and snacks available, we had lots of food to build up our energy for the triple axles. It was over all too soon. 

Our Ice Cream Social held on March 24, 2007 is always a fun event for all who are involved. This year we added a speaker to the mix. Alumni mentor Christopher Clermont from the Penn State Office of Human Resources talked about networking as part of the job search. Students asked many good questions and took away good tips for building their résumé over the next few years. This year’s social was held right at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center. People mingled with each other in the lounge at the back and in the library. We also had a few high school seniors who were visiting Penn State through the Upward Bound Program. They asked about our experiences and had a chance to talk to our first-year students who relayed valuable information about life at Penn State as freshmen.

This spring, FastStart had 52 seniors graduating. Eight of them joined us for our Spring Celebration: Tanisha Foster, Shamir Garland, Shartaya Mollett, Troy Reyes, Liza Vega, Jennifer Velasquez, Christi Venable, Joshua Walker, and Hamdan Yousuf. Many of our seniors were integral parts in building the FastStart tradition, and they won't be forgotten. We wish them luck as they move on from their time here at Penn State.

Aside from our usual food and mingling, the Spring Celebration was an opportunity to collaborate with the Blue & White Society, student members of the Penn State Alumni Association. Together at the Hintz Family Alumni Center, FastStart and the Blue and White Society held a virtual trivia Jeopardy game with four teams vying for great prizes. We look forward to holding more events with the Blue & White Society in the future. In between this madness, several Advisory Board members took the time to say thanks to Teresa Hilgren-McGowan, our coordinator, with some beautiful flowers.

Unfortunately, the Spring Celebration also is the end of freshmen year for 200 Fast Start protégés. FastStart couldn't have had such a great year without the participation and enthusiasm of these first-year Penn State students. Special thanks also go to all of our FastStart mentors. Without them, we couldn't have built the relationships, bridges, friendships, love, and support that made this year such a success.

So that's it. After finals the freshmen year is over. I hope that it was everything and anything you made it and wanted it to be. Don't forget that just because you've "graduated" from FastStart doesn't mean you should forget about your mentors. Stay connected!

I hope everyone enjoys a safe and fun summer.

Kevin