Chaiken Scholar champions first-generation advocacy and legal empowerment

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For Delany Moreno, a fourth-year Penn State student majoring in criminology, Penn State has been more than a place to learn, but a place to grow, lead and advocate for others.

The transition from her hometown in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to college was not easy for the first-generation college student, she said.

“My parents had no idea what it was like being a college student,” Moreno said. “I was homesick all the time. I went home every weekend, making it hard to keep up with work.”

Her turning point came when she visited a Liberal Arts peer adviser and heard about the Liberal Arts Chaiken Center for Student Success. Facing financial uncertainty, she said, she connected with center Director Patty Klug, who introduced her to the Chaiken Scholars program and other resources.

“Patty came into my life and truly was a miracle,” Moreno said. “The Liberal Arts Chaiken Center gave me the support I needed.”

She also credits her peer success coach, Michelle Kengkart, Penn State class of 2023 in criminology, who was preparing for law school at the time and who helped Moreno envision her own path.

Moreno began her Penn State career as a political science major, inspired by her longtime goal of becoming a judge, she said. However, after taking a juvenile justice course with Jonathan Grine, adjunct lecturer of criminology, she switched to criminology, adding minors in political science and sociology.

She said her passion for immigration law stems from being the daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants.

“I’ve always wanted to help underrepresented individuals,” Moreno said. “Seeing how my family was treated based on how they spoke or their lack of education motivated me to pursue this career.”

That, Moreno said, and her status as a first-gen student, is central to her journey.

“You’re the first for everything — the first to figure out the future for your family and beyond,” she said.

Her parents’ work ethic and resilience inspire her to embrace challenges, she said, even when she feels overwhelmed trying to balance her academic and leadership responsibilities.

“Over time, I learned to ask for help and embrace vulnerability,” Moreno said. “Looking back at what I’ve accomplished is my reminder that I can do it.”

Moreno’s leadership extends across campus. She has served in a variety of leadership positions for First-Gen Advocates since her first year, providing peer support and designing creative content for events.

“It's my outlet to help students navigate college and make it less stressful than it was for me,” she said.

Moreno also serves on the Liberal Arts First-Generation Committee, helped launch the Ecuadorian Student Association and has worked in the College of Health and Human Development’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion since her first year. There, she greets students, maintains a welcoming environment and designs event promotional materials.

One current initiative she said she's especially proud of is helping to plan a panel event focused on bridging liberal arts and health disciplines and exploring intersections between law, advocacy and community health.

This past May, Moreno studied abroad in Honduras through Global Legal Brigades. While there, she participated in Charlas, which are community presentations on anti-bullying for children and workshops for women on issues such as domestic violence and taxes. She also conducted house-to-house surveys and observed legal aid sessions led by an attorney who works closely with the community, which she said gave her meaningful insight into their community needs and international legal advocacy as a whole.

“Every case was different, and it opened my eyes to how hard it is for people to get help,” she said.

Moreno has also completed two internships in the past year. The first was with the Gross Law Firm, a workers’ compensation law firm in Allentown, where she attended court hearings, organized medical records, facilitated litigation cost documentation and provided Spanish translation. The second was with the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, where she helped run a detention hotline connecting detainees with legal staff, translated legal documents and helped with client intakes.

“That experience confirmed my passion for immigration law,” Moreno said. “Hearing directly from people in detention centers and their families showed me how difficult it is to find help, even when you’re just trying to live day by day.”

Moreno said she plans to graduate in spring 2026, take the LSAT and spend a gap year working as a paralegal before attending law school. During that time, she also hopes to travel abroad.

Her long-term goal is to pursue immigration law and continue supporting underserved communities.

“I want to be an example, just like my parents were for me,” she said.

The College of the Liberal Arts is home to one of five Chaiken Centers created through the philanthropy of Gene and Roz Chaiken to support student success. The inaugural Roz and Gene Chaiken Center for Student Success was established in the College of the Liberal Arts in 2021, with four additional centers added in 2024 at the University level, Penn State Abington, Penn State World Campus, and the College of Information Sciences and Technology.