Krystle Richardson

My first visit was in my childhood when my mom was a Horticulture student. I remember sitting in her floral arrangement classes and feeling like a big kid making my own arrangements. I even had my own little locker in the Earth Science Center. No matter what my mom went through, she could always rely on her professors when she needed to bring me with her. Those memories stuck with me, watching my mom follow her dreams. I didn’t realize until I got older that it was teaching me many things- like getting a degree at an older age is still just as valuable. When I decided to come to Penn College, I knew it was where I wanted to be. Things have changed significantly, but the welcoming atmosphere and ability to have creativity in your career path has grown and improved. I remember looking around the room and thinking about how lucky I was to have a new experience here, with new people and professors. It has been a positive experience from the very start.

Something that was extremely appealing to me was that this degree comes with so many choices. It's a huge advantage in this field. You can graduate with this degree and go down so many paths because there are so many different types of positions. Everywhere we go in this world, no matter what business or area, there is a need for human services individuals. We help people and we work through rehabilitation of individuals who are in need in so many ways. We teach empathy. We practice mindfulness. We hold extremely valuable skillsets that motivate individuals to perform and grow to their best ability. Human services is more than inspiring, it is rewarding. It isn’t easy, but when we know we are doing it for others, the journey keeps us going. I look at every situation I come across with a positive outlook and try to inspire others to do the same.

Everyone has the ability to be a leader, but you will never truly realize your own capability if you don’t take the chance and get into leadership. There are so many leadership opportunities available at Penn College, at all levels. Forming the Human Services and Restorative Justice (HSJ) Club and building up the team as President the last two years has been a rollercoaster of emotions, but it has shaped me into a leader that puts herself last. Your team is a direct reflection of you. If you aren’t meeting your goals, you have to be able to problem solve and work together. It comes with a lot of responsibility, because there are always people who are depending on you and looking up to you. If you have a seat at the table, you earned that seat. But, the bigger picture is what you do at that table to get others a seat. My leadership style has flourished, because my team believed in me. I will carry this experience for a lifetime.

Every semester Penn College grows with you. There has not been a single semester in my last four years that left me thinking, “nothing feels different” or “nothing has changed”. Faculty and staff work hard at surveying students and listening to what they bring to them. They bring realistic answers and advocate for us. Each semester new opportunities come. Something I am thankful for here is that everyone is very inclusive and open minded. They want to learn with you, about you, and shape you how YOU want to be. We have a lot of transparency in Human Services because we share our experiences and we hold each other up. If I'm nervous about a speech, I'll tell you. I was so nervous I tried to back out of that dedication, but my peers and the faculty and staff push me to persevere. They'll work with you to find your comfort level. It’s very personal here, because they want for us what they have. Innovation is fed into all curriculum here too.

One thing that stood out to me is that if you can’t find a leadership position or club that you fit into, you can create one. There are many campus wide positions that advocate for diversity and inclusion. The college has gone above and beyond to secure more faculty and staff who advocate for things that align with those positions. It’s truly inspiring when things come from paper to reality because it’s like a domino effect. Next thing you know, people are following behind with something else just as unique. I think people invest in us students because they can see the things we do and the wealth of knowledge we have. The Fish Real Estate Challenge Course was a huge example. Dr. Cooley worked diligently to bring that idea to life because he knew it had so many benefits. And The Fish Real Estate company believed in him and us.

I would start by asking how much time they have because I have so much to say. It isn’t a giant campus compared to some out there, but it also isn’t small. It's a community here, everyone lifts everyone up. In the last couple years, I have seen students from majors like aviation and diesel technology reach out and work with students from nursing and human services. It is truly a team work campus that allows students to create their path. This campus encourages students to strive for their definition of the best. If you don’t know how to do something, they will teach you. Someone is always willing to stay late, work with you, help you find something, or even point you in the right direction outside of campus. They also work side by side with many community leaders and organizations that you allows you to feel comfortable stepping foot in new places and doing new things. There is something here for everyone.

I am thankful for the people who invested in me because I've had times where I was ready to give up. Small gestures go a long way, but people who invest in you are displaying giant gestures of pure kindness and faith. They are that dedicated and believe in the idea so deeply that they are willing to share what they have and give it to others who need it. It’s a complete full circle of kindness. I’m thankful for all of those who invested in me and my peers.

It's hard to say because I tend to find myself hungry for more opportunities and surprise myself. I plan to go on for my master's in Forensic Psychology and eventually obtain my doctorate. An internship with the Williamsport Police Department turned into a position that I never knew existed. I set a lot of groundwork to strengthen the community-police relationship in Williamsport. I got to build something like I built here at Penn College. It’s what I do. I might not physically build it, but on paper and through service to others, I build a lot. I hope to continue this kind of work where I can develop community outreach and build programs that help unite people to services. I have a job to do, a mission to follow, and people to work with. I wouldn’t have any of these opportunities if it weren’t for Penn College. 

There is no time schedule for success. There is no age limit as to when you can wake up and do what you dreamed of doing. I think that if I wouldn’t have waited years like I did, I wouldn't have found what I loved and worked as hard at it. There were so many more things to learn besides college, I got better at routine, selfcare, and was able to catch on quicker than I did years ago. My life experiences before I started college made it easier to handle curve balls during college. During my second semester, I almost lost my life on a motorcycle. Instead of letting it slow me down, I worked towards my degree and was able to defy a lot of odds. Without my prior knowledge, and all the growing up I had to do before college, who knows how I would have handled it before. Don’t let anything in life define you. You define you!