"Get connected and stay connected."
Joanna Carrasco
Penn State Alumna
Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations
Minors in English and Women’s Studies
Joanna Carrasco grew up in the Bronx and was the first one among her generation of siblings and cousins to go to college. Today, she is a graduate of Penn State holding a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations with minors in English and Women’s Studies.
Carrasco got to know more about Penn State when a recruiter visited her high school. She was the only student from her class who attended Penn State, but she knew it was the right fit. She started her studies at Penn State Hazleton, where she was enrolled in an African American Literature course. She credits this class as changing the trajectory of her studies and ultimately her career path.
Through her course work at Penn State, Carrasco learned that she was passionate about feminism, social justice, and equality issues. Her courses opened her up to better understanding other’s perspectives. This passion led her back to New York, where she landed a job directly out of college, at a non-profit that is focused on closing the racial wealth and income gaps in America. Carrasco knows this is a lofty goal, but she is thankful to be able to contribute to such a worthy cause.
Get connected. Seize every opportunity. That is what worked for me. Anything that I could do that would feed my career, that’s what I would do. - Joanna Carrasco
This is Carrasco’s advice to any incoming Penn State student. She knows that her time spent engaged in her academics and pursuing internships related to her interests, helped her find a job, in her chosen field, in her hometown, right after college.
Carrasco had not yet identified her passions before she arrived at Penn State, but her time here shaped her into the person she is today. As a Penn State student, you can do the same.
Start writing Your Penn State story today.