MEDIA, Pa. — Jamie Hawthorn joined Penn State Brandywine as an administrative and stewardship coordinator for the Office of Development in December. Getting back into the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom, Hawthorn is looking forward to getting to know the campus community — working with students and forming relationships and camaraderie with faculty and staff.
“Jamie’s commitment to stewardship and connection elevates our work and reminds us that relationships are at the heart of everything we do,” said Patton Vo, director of campus development. “We are excited to have her with us.”
Hawthorn graduated with her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Penn State and went on to work in fundraising at The Salvation Army and campus ministry at the University of Pennsylvania. After being a stay-at-home mom for over 12 years, she became a development and administrative assistant for the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children and was a freelance publicist for an author. She is also immensely proud of the fundraising work she did as Vice President of the Friends of the Haverford Township Free Library. Being a Penn State alumna is what drew Hawthorn to the opportunity to work at Brandywine.
“I find that I really only want to work for organizations that I’m passionate about. I’m very passionate about Penn State and I’m invested in the success and future of the University,” she said.
“I also really loved hearing how much the development office raises for scholarships because I care a lot about educational equity and access. The fact that the department and admissions work so hard to get students to stay on campus and not worry about finances is great. I can get up in the morning and feel excited and proud about the work I’m doing.”
In terms of her goals, Hawthorn wants to get acclimated to her role and help the development office as much as she can.
“In the first year, my goal is to get acclimated and really figure out what gaps there are,” she said. “Also, I want to see how I can support Patton and Dana [Hallahan] (assistant director of alumni relations) in their roles.”
Outside of work, Hawthorn enjoys reading, listening to podcasts and going to Cape May with her family.