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EMPOWER ORPHANS
PENN STATE CHAPTER
E-BOARD OF EMPOWER ORPHANS PSU
Meet the 2019 E-Board of Empower Orphans PSU!!! All of the new executive directors are very excited for the upcoming year and to start leaving their mark on campus. Read more about our directors below!
Callie Freenock | Executive Director
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Callie Freenock is a senior majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She is from the small town of Clarion, PA. She is involved in several activities including Empower Orphans, THON, and the Penn State Singing Lions. She can't wait to show students all the Penn State chapter of Empower Orphans has to offer.
Hope Bodenschatz | Director of Programming
Hope Bodenschatz is a junior double majoring in Economics and Geography. She is a fourth generation Penn Stater born and raised in State College, so she definitely bleeds blue and white! Outside of Empower Orphans, she is a Liberal Arts Envoy, the secretary of University Choir, the secretary of UnderDOGS, a member of the Penn State International Affairs and Debate Association, and a member of the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council. Hope is passionate about making a difference and is beyond thrilled to help build upon the success of Empower Orphans’ mission.
Alison Barrett |Director of Finance
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Alison is a Senior from Scranton, PA in the Masters of Accounting Program double majoring with Spanish and minoring in International Business. She was the Director of Graphic Design and Technology for Empower Orphans last year. She also served as the Family Relations Liaison for her THON org, Schreyer Student Council, and was a member of a Communications THON committee. The summer after her freshman year, she studied abroad for 6 weeks in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and this past summer, she interned at W.R. Grace. In her free time she enjoys listening to music, drinking Jamba smoothies, and running.
Shannon Hagarty | Director of Communications
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Shannon is a senior from Springfield, PA majoring in Nursing. The desire to help others and make a difference in people's lives drove her to go into Nursing and also to join Empower Orphans. She became involved in Empower Orphans last year as a part of the social media team. In addition to Empower Orphans, Shannon is involved with THON, Global Brigades, and the Schreyer Honors College. In her free time, she enjoys eating, napping, and thinking about going to gym.
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Colleen McBride | Director of Outreach & Development
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Colleen is a Senior from Bensalem, PA majoring in Marketing and double minoring in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Digital Media Trends & Analytics. In addition to serving Empower Orphans PSU, Colleen is involved with THON, Schreyer Honors College Orientation and the Presidential Leadership Academy. Colleen's passion for networking and community engagement has led her to meet Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and engage in both local and national service trips. This past summer, Colleen interned at Thomas J. Paul, Inc., a creative marketing services agency. Colleen loves to travel and will always pay extra for Chipotle guacamole.
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Harshitha Palegar| Technology & Graphic Design Chair
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Harshitha is a Junior at Penn State double majoring in Social Data Analytics and International Politics. She comes from a town right outside of Philly: West Chester PA. Other than Empower Orphans, Harshitha is involved in club tennis, Nittany Data Labs and Women in Computing.
Natasha Ferguson | International Relations Chair
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Natasha Ferguson is 20 and a Schreyer's honors student at Penn State, majoring in Industrial Engineering with intended minors in Economics and Mathematics. She was born and raised in Panama, and lived there until she was 15 and attended The Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, a boarding school in the outskirts of D.C. She is passionate about movies, and loves painting, drawing and dancing hip hop in her spare time. She joined Empower Orphans because she finds hope and inspiration in the idea of the ripple effect and the power numbers can have.
Sarah Stephens | International Relations Chair
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Sarah is a Sophomore at Penn State and is head of anything EO abroad! She works alongside Natasha to plan the amazing Malayaka House Trip we all look forward to every year. This year was Sarah's first time to Uganda and all her hard work paid off as it was an incredibly successful trip.
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Rhiannon Gilley Internal Communications Chair
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Rhiannon is a Sophomore at Penn State majoring in secondary education. She loves to work with kids which was one of the driving forces for her to join EO. Rhi is the one that makes all the e-mails look pretty and easy to get information from!
Siena Baker | Special Events Chair
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Siena is a Sophomore at Penn State majoring in Political Science and English. Along with EO, Siena is heavily involved in Schreyer for Women and the university's Presidential Leadership Academy. Siena is in charge of all our special events from our Panda fundraiser to organizing movies screenings.
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Alexis Coleman | Director of Programming
Alexis is a Sophomore at Penn State originally hailing from West Chester PA. At school, she is currently pursuing a major in applied statistics. She is our Director of Programming which means she leads and organizes all of our amazing trips to Park Forest Preschool! Along with Park Forest, Alexis also created and saw through our College Planning Workshops.
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