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By Russ Napolitano

Earlier this month, my wife, Beth, and I attended our last Penn State Parents Council meeting. With our daughter, Elizabeth, graduating in May, it was time for us to rotate off and allow room for new parents to share in this unique experience. After six years of serving (one as Parent Ambassadors and five as Parent Council members), I think many would agree that we graduated from Parents Council with honors.

The Parents Council gave Beth and I the opportunity to make a large University, small. It allowed us to get involved and to be a resource for many Penn State parents and families through student send-offs, greeting families on move-in days, volunteering at Parents and Families Weekend, and advocating for state funding in Harrisburg. In addition to engaging in these opportunities, we also had responsibilities within the Parents Council. Like most things, it’s not a surprise. Yet, we were surprised about how the Parents Council became a second family for us. It was a family with whom we shared common goals and challenges and looked forward to spending time with during Parent Council and non-Parents Council events.

Welcoming. Sharing. Connecting. This is the Parents Council tagline—a tagline that holds true to its promise and to the experience it delivers. This group, comprised of 40+ parents, is one of the most welcoming groups of people, regardless of its affiliation to Penn State. Its members are always willing to openly share experiences, including many personal experiences, that have helped Beth and me to better understand what our own children were facing in college. The group’s diversity in race, culture, gender, age, number of children, career, location, etc. has also given us all an appreciation and understanding that the college experience is not the same for all families. This helped Beth and I to be better Council members as we helped coach other parents through the college experience. Additionally, the connections we have made over the past six years never would have happened without our involvement with the Parents Council. We were connected to many facets of the University, including faculty, staff, administration, the Parents Program staff, and other Parents Council members. Many of these connections will be lifelong threads of personal enrichment and friendships.

Our six years on the Parents Council flew by in a flash, as did watching our two children become adults and graduates from Penn State—a University that gave them many of their own opportunities to welcome, share, and connect. I am thankful that my wife and I had our own Penn State experience through our involvement with Parents Council. And, we are even more thankful for the lasting friendships we have made along the way.

Whether you are a new Penn State parent or family or currently have a student(s) enrolled at University Park, you should be aware of what the Parents Program and Parents Council are all about. The extent of resources that are available are very useful in helping to navigate through many aspects of the Penn State college experience.

WE ARE united as parents and families.