Brandywine student combines passion for science and athletics

MEDIA, Pa. — Second-year biology major Hailey Piccirillo is making the most of her Penn State Brandywine experience, whether she’s spiking the ball on the volleyball court or studying biology in the classroom.

A resident of Virginia, Piccirillo chose to attend Brandywine to play collegiate volleyball while also following her family’s Penn State legacy.

“My grandpa went to Penn State and he loved it. We have a ton of Penn State merchandise all over the house. When Penn State Brandywine reached out to me to recruit me for volleyball, the Penn State name caught my eye,” she said.

“I also love the small class sizes. I went to a private high school, and I felt like I got really close with the teachers and students with the small class sizes, so I really wanted that same experience for college.”

In addition to playing volleyball, Piccirillo is also a part of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, an organization that brings together student-athletes and gives them a voice on campus. 

Piccirillo said she has always been interested in science, as many people in her family pursued careers in the field. Her grandfather was a toxicologist, her aunt is a scientist, and her mother is a nurse, so naturally, she added, she has always had an interest in pursuing a career in science. 

“I grew up around people who worked in science and in the healthcare industry, and I always found science to be a really easy subject in school, so it felt like a natural path to me,” she said.

Piccirillo noted she also has an interest in marine biology, which has led her to become a certified scuba diver. Members of her family also scuba dive, which inspired her to get certified when she was 14 years old. 

“I’ve always gone to the ocean to swim, even as a little kid. My family is also big into scuba diving; my grandpa was a scuba diver, and my dad does it as well. My dad told me how he wanted to scuba dive more, and he suggested I get certified so I can dive with him. When I was in ninth grade, I got certified,” she said.

Piccirillo has gone scuba diving multiple summers since getting certified. This past summer, she and her family went to Grand Cayman and scuba dived through a shipwreck.

“A lot of people don’t get to do it, and it’s so surreal going underwater and seeing all the different marine life,” she said. “Scuba diving goes hand-in-hand with my biology interests. I’ve always been interested in marine life and seeing their ecosystems. Being able to see that in person is surreal.”

When asked what advice she would give to students who are looking to pursue multiple passions, Piccirillo said to keep an open mind.

“Branching out and doing a ton of different things is the easiest way to figure out what you want to do,” she said. “Also, keeping an open mind and getting involved in different things makes a better college experience.”