UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Our goal is not simply that Penn State students graduate with a degree. Our goal is that every Penn State student graduates with a portfolio of real-world experiences and impact. That’s what really sets them up for success.”
Those were remarks made by Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos to the Penn State Board of Trustees joint meeting of the committees on Research and Technology, and Student Success, on May 7.
Sotiropoulos outlined a vision for expanding student access to experiential learning opportunities — including research, internships and co-ops, community engagement and interdisciplinary initiatives. He highlighted the importance of experiential learning as a high-impact practice tied to student success, including improved graduation rates and strong post-graduate outcomes.
“In the past, for decades, universities have been organized primarily around the transmission of knowledge,” Sotiropoulos said. “But in the future, universities will increasingly be distinguished by how effectively they immerse students in solving real-world problems, working across disciplines, collaborating in teams and applying knowledge in real-world settings.”
A panel of students shared insight into the unique experiential learning opportunities they’ve discovered at Penn State that have enhanced their education and positively impacted their academic and career pathways.
On why students should participate in experiential learning:
“Job recruiters always expect [to hear about] what you do outside of school. What is it that should set you apart from the competition? If that is the stake at hand, I personally feel like this should be something that every student does in their own way. We should all have our own unique selling points.”
- Mahathir Mahbub, an undergraduate researcher who earned bachelor’s degrees in finance and information sciences and technology in spring 2026
On the Penn State Schuylkill Co-Op program:
“Throughout three semesters, I had taken courses that allowed me to prepare for real-world skills and with workplace skills. Then, we replicated different experiences that you might have as a real person in the workforce. We had interviews and had employer partners come to these events and to the classroom so we got real experience. That’s the most important part of it. You are truly getting the real experience with real people who can get you a position after you graduate at Penn State. It opened up my eyes completely, and my confidence was so much higher.”
- AJ Serrano, a rising senior majoring in business
On the Nittany AI Challenge, an annual competition in which student teams compete for funding to develop AI-based solutions to pressing real-world issues:
“The Nittany AI Challenge gives students the opportunity to collaborate, to improve their communication skills, to improve their adaptability, to learn to work with different people, and also be able to handle the hard work environment and working pressure situations. This specific event and experiential learning experience really made such a big impact on my development as a person and as an engineer in general.”
- Katerina Dimitrova, a third-year student studying computer science, who won second place in the 2026 challenge for the development of an American Sign Language text translation system for video calls and conferencing
On the Sheetz Fellows Program at Penn State Altoona:
“Most students come to college and they’ll go to their two to three classes a day, they’ll do their homework, they’ll do the assignments, and they’ll do that for four years. And then when you go to an interview, you don’t know how to talk to people, you don’t have any experience being in a workplace or working on a team. The Sheetz Fellows Program sets you up for that. Not only do you get real-world experience in working with what comes next after [graduation], but you do it at the same time as you’re doing classes. So it’s the best of both worlds.”
- Adam Dotts, who earned a bachelor’s degree in communication in spring 2026
On why students should get involved with Altoona’s Sheetz Fellows Program or other experiential learning opportunities at Penn State:
“I would first talk about how the Sheetz Fellows has impacted me and changed my personality, who I am. I’d say the Sheetz Fellows Program gives you that real-world experience that sets you apart from other people. I got my internship from the Sheetz Fellows program, so I learned a lot about how to manage my time, how to communicate better and networking. I would end by talking about the community service, because that’s really my driver.”
- Mikaella Posada, a rising senior studying business analytics