Alumni & Friends

Penn State Beaver

Homecoming brings alumni and community together

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  • two women give each other a side hug and smile for the camera
    Alumna Maria Shamsi poses with Penn State Beaver employee Dana Alvetro at the homecoming tailgate. Shamsi earned her business degree in 2011.
  • A band plays on an outside stage
    Bobby Thompson and The Groove entertain during the homecoming tailgate. Thompson, center, graduated from Penn State Beaver with a business degree in 2019.
  • A group of students and alumni pose at the Lion Shrine
    Current and former Lion Ambassadors pose at the Nittany Lion Shrine with members of the admissions staff during the Lion Ambassadors Reunion.
  • 5 female students gather at a table to eat during the homecoming tailgaate
    Current students enjoy food and fun at the homecoming tailgate, Oct. 15, 2022.
  • Two men and one woman talk outside
    Alumnus Ty Cole talks with Penn State Beaver Chancellor Jenifer Cushman and Director of Enrollment Dan Pinchot during the homecoming tailgate. Cole received his communications degree in 2018. Pinchot received his communications degree in 1991 and his master of education in 2004.
  • A woman and man pose for the camera outside in front of a food truck.
    Lisa Majerchik and Lucas Morac stop for a photo while talking at the Penn State Beaver Homecoming Tailgate, Oct. 15, 2022. Majerchik received her nursing degree in 1978, and Morac received his business degree in 2011.
  • Students wearing pink and white shirts sit in the formation of a B.
    Students formed a B in the stands during the women's volleyball game on Oct. 15, 2022.
  • Volleyball player jumps to hit the ball in a game
    Senior Breann King jumps to hit the ball during the women's volleball game on October 15, 2022.

Penn State Beaver’s homecoming and community tailgate party was a chance for alumni to come back to campus, for the local community to visit, and for current students to have some fall fun.

The event, held Oct. 15, 2022, began in the morning with an open house for prospective students. Afterward, the Admissions Department sponsored a reunion for campus Lion Ambassadors, welcoming about 30 alumni and their families back for tours and reminiscing. After the reunion, most headed to the tailgate to enjoy food, a cornhole tournament, children’s activities and live music.

Local blues band Bobby Thompson and the Groove performed on the Quad. Front man Thompson received his business degree from Penn State Beaver in 2019. “It’s nice to be back and see everyone,” Thompson said. “It was a great day to play outside, too. I love all the leaves changing for fall.”

Alumni return

Dante Massey and his wife Brittney, both former residents of Harmony Hall, found out about the event from the campus’s Facebook page.

The two brought their young son, Milo, and were all decked out in their Penn State gear.

Dante, who graduated in 2014 with a degree in communications, recalled with a laugh a running joke he and John Chapin, professor of communications, have from his days spent on campus.

“I had two back-to-back classes with Dr. Chapin, one at 8 a.m. and the other at 11 a.m.,” he said. “I would notoriously sleep through the 8 a.m. and go to the next class. Dr. Chapin still remembers me, and we always laugh about that when we see each other.”

Alumna Lori Guandolo, a 2000 graduate with a business degree, got put to work when she arrived. “I helped setting up the corn hole tournament, so hopefully I can win the whole thing,” she said, adding that she hoped to relive some old memories while she was on campus.

Lisa Majerchik, Penn State Beaver’s 2021 Outstanding Alumnus and a 1978 nursing graduate, said her time at the homecoming was a wonderful experience and being on campus made her feel like she was home again.

“I’m having a great time. I remember so much here, and it feels good to be back,” Lisa said. “When I first received the email about the homecoming, I cancelled all of my plans so I could come back and enjoy myself.”

Lisa said a lot has changed on campus. “The buildings are different. A lot of things weren’t here. But the dorms are the same,” she said.

Malaysia Wallace, who earned her degree in communications in 2021, attended Saturday’s event and said that she genuinely missed the vibes of being on campus and the family environment that she had on campus.

Employees pitch in

Frankie Checchio, a reference and instructional librarian on campus, was one of many employees from all departments on campus who helped with the planning and set up of the event.

Checchio has been at Penn State Beaver for about three years. “Since I’ve been here, I have only worked on a third of the events that the school has put together,” he said.

“For today, I helped set up some of the activities such as corn hole, can jam and Jenga. … An event like this is always good for networking and to meet up with others to share one another’s stories.”

The homecoming game

Homecoming weekend also featured a women’s volleyball game, where the team dominated against Penn State New Kensington. The women won the game 3-1, with senior Breann King having 15 kills.

A group of students donned pink shirts in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and formed a “B-Zone” in the stands to show their support for the volleyball team.

Penn State Beaver COMM 462 students Devon Johnson, Eva Pratte, Parker Walden and Tre Johnson contributed to this story.