“For the future that we wait, raise the song, raise the song”

The Blue & White Society and the Lion Ambassadors are two excellent ways to demonstrate your Penn State pride, gain leadership experience, and begin your connection with the Penn State Alumni Association! In addition, we also offer a variety of events and mentoring programs that are open to the student body.

The Blue & White Society is the student membership of the Penn State Alumni Association, with societies at campuses across the Commonwealth. With nearly 5,600 members, it is the largest and one of the most active student organizations at Penn State. The Blue & White Society plans many events on campus each year that promote Penn State pride, tradition, and spirit.

For just $15 a year, you can become a member and receive benefits, such as access to the Alumni Association’s online directory, 10 percent off on supplies and clothing at all Penn State Bookstore locations, and free Penn State swag. To become a member, join here.

Find the Blue & White Society at
your campus to learn more.

The Lion Ambassadors, “ordinary students with extraordinary pride,” are Penn State’s student alumni corps who communicate the University’s history, personality, and traditions to students, alumni and friends through tours and programming. Known for their trademark backwards walk, the Lion Ambassadors offer tours of campus to prospective and accepted students, as well as private special assignments.

In addition to these tours, the Lion Ambassadors also host events and programs throughout the year to further their mission to the University: to foster the idea that involvement with Penn State is lifelong. These include Be a Part From the Start, S-Zone at home football games, and university-wide Senior Sendoff.

Applications are available at the end of the fall semester.

Please visit the Lion Ambassadors' website for more information. To request a tour, please submit a form.

     

FastStart is a mentorship program supported by the Penn State Alumni Association. FastStart was formed in 1996 to enrich the student experience of Penn State first year students who identify from underrepresented populations. Since its inception FastStart has supported matriculation, persistence, academic achievement and professional development of Penn State students.

FastStart operates using a triad mentorship model, first–year students (Mentees) are matched with a Penn State faculty/staff mentor and alumni (Mentors). This will support mentees to get their college career off to a “FastStart” by supporting students to flourish in their new university environment.

Get Involved!

Want to see what our students are all about? Check out some of our other events and programs!

Alumni Achievement Awards Mixer
Each spring, the Alumni Association recognizes outstanding alumni who are 35 or younger. The Alumni Achievement Award winners gather for one weekend on campus, and during this time, students are welcome to attend a panel discussion and mixer to meet alumni, hear their stories, and ask questions about how they’ve achieved success.

Be a Part from the Start
The night before the first day of classes, all freshmen are welcomed into the Penn State community through this annual event. Join the Lion Ambassadors as they reveal a comprehensive look at what it means to be a Penn State student. From learning the fight songs and the Alma Mater, to doing football cheers and the wave, Be a Part from the Start is an hour of nonstop spirit and an early lesson in Penn State pride.

Blue & White BASH
At the beginning of each school year, the Blue & White Society offers a welcome back BASH for all students returning to campus. Join us at the Hintz Family Alumni Center for free food, entertainment, games, and opportunities to get involved with the Alumni Association.

Guard the Lion Shrine
Each Homecoming, immediately after the parade, the Lion Ambassadors host Guard the Lion Shrine, a tradition based on protecting our beloved Nittany Lion statue from the defacement from rival universities. There will be food, entertainment, and Penn State camaraderie, so we hope to see you there!

Lantern Tours
Each fall, the Lion Ambassadors provide historical nighttime tours of the campus guided by lantern light that start at the steps of Old Main. Characters from Penn State’s history, ranging from the school’s founding in 1855 to the modern day, share their insights.

PS i (heart) U Week
Held in the spring semester, PS i (heart) U Week is a spirit week for students and alumni to remember and share why the love Penn State.

Rally in the Valley
The Blue & White Society hosts a community-wide pep rally on the eve of a major athletic event. All Penn State fans are welcome to attend to see the Blue Band, cheerleaders, and other special guests. Get ready to pump up your Nittany Lions! This year, the Blue & White Society sent our men's basketball and hockey teams to Madison Square Garden as they faced Michigan in a Super Saturday double header.

S-Zone
Football season is one of our favorite times of the year. At every home game, Lion Ambassadors lead a cheering section of 800 students in the student portion of the stands. Students are given blue-and-white T-shirts to wear that create an enormous “S” that can be seen clearly from any vantage point in the stadium. To ensure a spot in the S-Zone, arrive at Beaver Stadium a little early before the game and enter through the S-Zone ticket gate!

University-Wide Senior Sendoff
To commemorate the senior class saying goodbye to Dear Old State, the Penn State Lion Ambassadors hold University-Wide Senior Sendoff. This yearly spring celebration fills Hintz Family Alumni Center with food, activities, entertainment and resources about life as an alum.

Connect

We are more than happy to answer your questions about the Alumni Association and how to get involved as a student. You can reach us by phone or stop by our offices in the Hintz Family Alumni Center—where the duck pond is on campus—and let’s chat!

Mara Ryan, ‘97
Associate Director of Student and Alumni Communities
Advisor of Lion Ambassadors and Blue & White Society
Penn State Alumni Association
104 Hintz
814-867-4649
mmu100@psu.edu

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Daphne Mark
Coordinator, Student and Young Alumni Communities, Engagement Team
203 Hintz
814-865-4515
dlm79@psu.edu