My name is Hope Bodenschatz, and I’m a junior majoring in Economics, Geography, and Political Science. I’m a fourth generation Penn Stater born and raised in State College, so I definitely bleed blue and white! I grew up loving Penn State and anticipating the day I would be able to call it my alma mater – I loved my first two years at Penn State, and I’m so excited for this semester to be underway. In addition to Empower Orphans, I’m involved with the Liberal Arts Envoys, the Penn State International Affairs and Debate Association (PSIADA), UnderDoGs (the Penn State Department of Geography undergraduate club), and Gamma Theta Upsilon (the Geography honor society). I work as a Network Assistant in the College of the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network and am the Coordinator of Centre PACT, a program that guides Centre County high schoolers through the granting process and enables them to raise and grant funds to local non-profits tackling an issue important to them. Outside of classes, clubs, and work, I love to hike, read, play the piano, and spend time with family and friends.
I am the Director of Programming for Empower Orphans. I work with the Community Chair and the International Relations Chairs to develop, plan, and implement events and volunteer opportunities for Empower Orphans members, including the St. John’s educational visit, Penns Valley Youth Center (PVYC) and Park Forest Preschool volunteering, the PVYC college planning workshops, Hershey Medical Center visits, the Centre County Youth Service Bureau (CCYSB) volleyball game, and more. I have always had a passion for serving others and a desire to make the world a better place, and I am so grateful to have found a community of dedicated and compassionate people with the same passion and goals in Empower Orphans. This year I hope to deepen our relationships with the partners we’re already working with (I’m very excited about the PVYC college planning workshops), and I’m also hoping to forge new partnerships and continue to expand Empower Orphans’ impact in the local community and world.