Someone in My Corner
Even the best laid plans of IST students can sometimes go awry. See how five students found support from staff who listened, advocated for them, and believed in their potential to help them find their own paths forward.
By Jordan Ford
Every IST student arrives with a plan, but the journey rarely unfolds the way they imagined. Classes prove more challenging than expected. Internships take longer to find. Switching majors, adjusting to a new campus, learning to navigate life far from home each can send students in entirely new directions. The College of IST offers a wide network of support to help students through every twist and turn. Yet what students often remember most is not a program or office but rather the person behind it, someone who listened, advocated, and believed in them before they fully believed in themselves.
She's Already There
Pamela Carey and Erica Fleming
Pamela Carey arrived at Penn State with her sights set on a forensic science degree. Then she took her first chemistry class.
“I had never seen a grade like that,” laughed Carey. “I was celebrating a 62%.”
The medical examiner career she’d mapped out quietly dissolved, but an interest in counterterrorism pushed her toward IST’s security and risk analysis degree.
“My dad worked in Manhattan, but a back injury kept him home on 9/11,” she explained. “That day left a deeply personal and lasting mark on my family. I wanted to find the root of that kind of evil or at least be part of the fight against it.”
Like chemistry, the major’s introductory programming course with Teaching Professor Rosalie Ocker proved to be a steep climb. For support, she turned to the course’s learning assistants (LAs), embedded undergraduate students who serve as learning coaches. When coding finally clicked, Carey said, the shift was significant.
A Beautiful Environment
Inspired by the support she received, Carey became an LA for the same programming course that nearly derailed her, but her first day of class was equally challenging. She felt like a fraud.
Two days later, she attended the LA training course led by Erica Fleming, faculty lead for teaching and learning, expecting more self-doubt. Instead, she found a space rich with discussion, interaction, and empathy.
“I remember sitting there thinking, wait—this is a class? Why am I smiling?” Carey recalled. “It was just such a beautiful environment.”
Fleming, who joined the college a semester earlier as the staff director for the LA program, was encouraged by Carey’s contributions. She was a student who spoke in every class, never missed a session, and openly shared her own struggles.
“One of Pamela's greatest strengths is her willingness to be vulnerable,” Fleming said. “That openness makes other people feel like they can be honest, too. And that leads to better learning.”
Finding Her Voice
During her third year, a classmate made comments that targeted those contributions and Carey’s right to be in the room. Carey has a thick skin, but this felt different.
She brought it up to Fleming in her usual way—make it funny, file it away, keep moving—but Fleming didn't let it go.
“She made sure I knew that the behavior wasn't okay, that it wasn't my fault,” Carey said.
Fleming advised Carey on an email to her professor about the situation and connected her with relevant student resources. She advocated for her plainly and without hesitation.
For Fleming, who earned her doctorate in August, the experience solidified her dissertation topic: women’s feelings of inclusion and belonging in technology classrooms. Carey's anonymized story became a case study in Fleming's research.
For Carey, Fleming’s advocacy showed her that speaking up was not only possible, but the right thing to do.
“She helped me remember who I am,” Carey said.
Taking the Lead
When Fleming needed to hire a new student director for the LA program, she knew who she wanted to ask.
Carey accepted the role, recruiting, training, and supporting as many as 80 LAs each semester. That leadership experience—along with an introduction to one of Fleming’s colleagues—led to her current research assistantship with the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State and inspired her to pursue a doctorate.
“As much as she would tell you she has learned from me, I have absolutely learned as much from her,” Fleming said. “Her story helped shape my research. Her example has shaped how I think about teaching. She's been an inspiration to me.”
“Dr. Fleming won't admit it, but she is a powerhouse in this college,” Carey added. “If I need to fall back on someone, she's already there. I want to be that person for someone. I want to talk to that girl and tell her it will be okay. That she can keep going. That I am here for her.”
I Belong Here
Anhjay Brown and Madhavi Kari
Anhjay Brown remembers her new student orientation fondly. She walked through Westgate Building with Madhavi Kari—IST's diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging specialist—to meet advisers and connect with other students who, like her, received the Bunton-Waller Fellowship. For Brown, something clicked.
“This is going to be my home,” said Brown, who graduated in May. “These are the people I want to surround myself with.”
That feeling carried her through the first weeks on campus, but by the end of her first semester, Brown was in Kari's office, fighting to hold it together.
“I was really struggling in my coding class,” she said. “I thought I was going to lose my scholarship.”
Kari steadied her, reassuring Brown that a challenging class wasn't a reason to abandon a major she loved. Other students had been where she was, and this wasn't a verdict on her future.
“I remember thinking: Someone other than me and my family believes in me,” Brown said. “That was a really big push.”
Brown persevered, and Kari turned into a constant source of support and guidance by recommending opportunities and encouraging engagement. Brown followed through, landing internships with Verizon and IBM and conducting research on AI's impact on criminal justice systems.
Along their shared journey, Kari connected Brown to the Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference and the Grace Hopper Celebration, where, for the first time, Brown was interviewed by a Black woman.
“I never felt unwelcome on campus, but I struggled with the idea that I was one of only a few women in some of my classes and that sometimes I was the only brown person,” she said. “Seeing someone who looked like me in a leadership position reassured me that I can do this, that I belong.”
Kari watched Brown grow from a panicked first-year student into one of the college's most effective ambassadors. By their count, she personally recruited at least six students to IST.
“I knew from the beginning she was going to be something special,” Kari said. “She never gave up and has grown into an amazing leader.”
Brown, who regularly worked outside Kari's office throughout her final year in IST, is now an AI engineer at IBM’s New York City office. It’s a destination she credits Kari with helping her reach.
Said Brown, “I could never be where I am today without her motivation and support.”
Finding My Joy
Zack Ranjan and Meggan MacDonald
In fall 2023, two years into his Penn State career, Zack Ranjan started over. The student from Noida, India, arrived as a computer science major, but a series of setbacks led him to file for retroactive traumatic withdrawal, wiping two semesters from his transcript. Now he was re-enrolled in IST's data sciences program, sitting across from Meggan MacDonald, his new academic adviser, trying to figure out what came next.
“Zack is very personable, and he trusted me to open up about everything he went through,” MacDonald said. “I could tell right away that what was on his transcript wasn't speaking to what kind of student he was.”
She knew he was doing the hard work of introspection through journaling, exercising, and taking his mental health seriously. She also knew that Ranjan needed special permission to retake a required programming course he had withdrawn from four times. MacDonald appealed to Associate Professor Hadi Hosseini, the data sciences program coordinator, strongly advocating that Ranjan’s struggles were circumstantial and not a measure of what he was capable of.
He got the chance. He passed.
Around the same time, Ranjan was diagnosed with ADHD. Managing it, he said, changed everything. In fall 2024, he earned his first Dean's List recognition and conducted undergraduate research on AI misinformation detection.
“I'd never gotten straight A's before,” he said. “I didn't know I could do that.”
By November 2025, he was managing research, graduate school applications, and coursework. It was too much. Ranjan experienced a manic episode, triggered by chronically poor sleep and his ADHD medication.
“I worried about what would happen after I left campus and that my hard work wouldn’t be enough,” he said. “I was so stressed. I wasn’t sleeping.”
He was hospitalized for nearly a month. With no phone or email access, he was unreachable to everyone. MacDonald, notified by Penn State's Student Care and Advocacy office, sent messages into the silence. When he was discharged, she was one of the first people he contacted.
The experience—and MacDonald’s support—provided clarity for Ranjan. He had played heavy metal guitar for eleven years. He set it aside when he came to Penn State to focus on academics, but he felt like he was sacrificing more than a hobby.
“I felt like I was lying to myself by not playing,” he said. “Sometimes we take on too much without realizing the peace it costs you.”
Ranjan graduated in May with three job offers. A PhD, at his faculty mentor's urging, remains on his radar. For now, though, he is heading home to India to rest, reconnect with his family, and give his guitar the serious attention it deserves.
“He's wise beyond his years,” MacDonald said. “He figured out what brings him joy before entering the workforce, something a lot of people don't figure out until much later. He needed time to just be.”
Try, Try Again
Jason Cullen and Melinda Heckman
After spending his first two years at Penn State Schuylkill, Jason Cullen spent his junior year transitioning to University Park. He focused more on getting his bearings on the larger campus than career planning, even though he needed to complete the college’s internship requirement before graduating.
But, he admitted, “My mom wanted me to go to the career fair.”
His first step was to attend a resume workshop, where career solutions specialist Melinda Heckman encouraged him to make a one-on-one appointment to further explore career resources. There, she introduced him to the college’s internship database and LionLink, Penn State’s student-alumni networking platform.
Browsing the internship database, Cullen saw a position with Penn State Global Safety. It checked every box for the Schreyer Honors Scholar, who is pursuing concurrent degrees in security and risk analysis and international affairs.
Heckman made an introduction to the program’s supervisor. Cullen got the interview and, in his words, “bombed it.” What was to be a 45-minute conversation lasted only 20. He didn't get the internship.
Rather than retreat, Cullen turned to LionLink and connected with an alumnus whose research on intercultural dialogue led to a summer research internship. That relationship led to another internship researching extremist organizations. None of them were paid. All of them mattered.
Meanwhile, Heckman kept his name on a sticky note on her desk, forwarding opportunities as they came up. When Penn State Global Safety opened another position, Heckman shared it and Cullen applied again. This time, he met multiple times with Heckman and her colleagues, used the college's virtual InterviewPrep simulator, and completed mock interviews with Ronan Berger '23, his IST-matched alumni mentor.
Cullen’s second interview lasted more than an hour.
“They had to cut me off,” he laughed. “I was proud of how much I'd grown and had to share. Even if I didn't get it, I knew I was better than I had been the first time I interviewed.”
He got the job and is now writing risk assessments that inform safety decisions for Penn Staters traveling abroad. And he recently attended his first professional conference in Boston. Both experiences attest to Cullen's perseverance and Heckman's guidance (and a nudge from Mom).
“You have to make that appointment and have that conversation, even if you don't know what you're doing yet and even if it doesn’t work out,” Cullen said. “You never know what a simple question is going to lead to.”
For Heckman, the outcome was gratifying, but so was the journey that got him there.
“Some students think that if it doesn't happen quickly and easily, then it doesn't work. But that’s not true,” explained Heckman. “It's good Jason’s success wasn’t immediate because he's so much further ahead now. He proved failure's not final—it's a stepping stone.”
What They Needed
Aamani Sharma and Tyler Estright
Aamani Sharma arrived at Penn State in fall 2022 with a vision: She wanted to be at the center of technology and business—majoring in enterprise technology integration checked that box—and she wanted to be deeply involved across campus.
“I had a road map saying I'm joining this club, doing this, doing that, building a great resume, and getting a job,” Sharma said.
Two weeks before Sharma’s first semester, Tyler Estright started as IST's student engagement specialist. He needed passionate students to help rebuild the on-campus student engagement program post-COVID.
When their parallel journeys crossed in an early October meeting, each found what they needed. Estright met a “connector who would bring new ideas.” Sharma found someone who could help her match her goals to the college’s resources and opportunities.
After that meeting—the first of more than 50 the pair would have over the next four years—Sharma “was everywhere.” She joined the IST Diplomats, the Association for Women in Computing, the Nittany AI Student Society, and more. She gained meaningful experience, which also gave Estright an inside look at the IST student engagement ecosystem.
“It wasn't just me making connections for Aamani,” said Estright, who now serves as the college's student success supervisor. “It was Aamani making connections for me.”
Despite her well-laid plans, Sharma faced roadblocks. During her second year, she attended the Grace Hopper Celebration but left without a single interview. A Tesla recruiter told her that her 4.0 GPA suggested she wasn't challenging herself. She blamed herself for not being good enough.
Estright knew Sharma had far more to offer than perfect grades. He watched the New Delhi native navigate the pressures of being an international student—culture shifts, visa uncertainty, a competitive job market—while excelling academically and staying involved across campus.
Through regular meetings, the two built rapport and confidence in what they were doing. Estright strengthened and expanded student engagement opportunities. Sharma took on leadership roles in her organizations and eventually landed an internship at Tesla—with a 3.98 GPA. She taught him about Indian culture; he taught her Penn State history.
After earning her degree in May, Sharma is now drafting a new plan for what comes next. Wherever she lands, she knows that her well-earned experience and Estright’s support will continue to pay off.
“Tyler saw the shift from annoying, hyperactive freshman who wanted to do it all to the calm, Zen graduate,” she explained. “He helped me find myself and be comfortable with who I am.”
Also in This Issue
The Digital Thread of Modern Society
IST researchers highlight their high-impact work in the areas of youth, health, and cybersecurity.
More Than a Model
Students participating in the Nittany AI Challenge learned that great AI requires more than technology—it demands user insight, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a compelling vision.