Karena Bibbins-McKeever
Class of 2006
Political Science
Detroit, Michigan

After my freshman year I became a Resident Assistant, I changed my major to political science and I began to get to know many more students on campus. Through that I have acquired knowledge that I do utilize and will utilize in the future.

After completing her first year at Penn State Behrend, Karena Bibbins-McKeever realized, that although it was not her first choice school, Behrend quickly became her perfect choice because of the small classes and “the good relationship with my professors.”

The professors who have influenced Karena the most are Dr. Robert Speel, associate professor of political science, and Dr. Celise Schneider, visiting assistant professor of political science.

“They have had the biggest impact on me because of their knowledge and expertise,” she said. “It’s fascinating and it creates a wonderful learning environment for the other [students] and me.”

Karena enjoys living on campus at Behrend, but she originally lived in an off-campus apartment.

“Freshman year I commuted and that was rough,” she said. “I did not know anyone and felt closed off from the campus community. I would not recommend that freshmen live off campus their first year. Living on campus is great: you always know what’s going on, most of your friends are nearby and you will enjoy it.”

The advice Karena would give to future Behrend students is “to remain focused and try not to stray off the beaten path too much. You will learn after your freshman year that college is not all about partying, but actually learning and using the knowledge you gain for the future,” she said. “So my best advice is to truly stay focused on what you need to do to succeed.”