Fels Institute of Government graduate Sophia Zehler exemplifies school pride as Penn's mascot, the Quaker

By the time she applied for the job as the Penn Quaker, first-generation college student and Cuban American Sophia Zehler (MPA `22) was already a mascotting pro. Zehler began her mascot career as an undergraduate in 2018 as the Blue Hen at the University of Delaware, then at Fordham University as Ramses the Ram after a transfer. “Being a mascot is unique in what it is and what it offers,” Zehler says. “It makes you stand out. It gave me so much, in and out of suit.”

Creative writing at Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies

Become a Penn-made writer—your way. Designed with working adults and nontraditional students in mind, Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) offers a range of opportunities to study the craft of creative writing with expert faculty and a community of like-minded peers. As a Penn student, you have access to world-class resources including Penn Libraries and Kelly Writers House, as well as personalized advising to help you make the most of your Penn experience. 

The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences experience, according to three recent graduates

Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) students all take their own unique path to Penn. Most are working adults from a variety of professional backgrounds; some are new in their careers, while others are preparing to advance or pivot to a new field. What they all have in common is their curiosity, passion for learning, and ambition.

Congratulations to the Penn LPS Class of 2022

On Sunday, May 15, Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) welcomed family, friends, faculty, and the Class of 2022 for the first in-person graduation ceremony since 2019. This year, LPS conferred 385 degrees on graduating students: 76 bachelor’s degrees, including the first-ever class of Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences graduates to walk the stage at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and 309 master’s degrees—the largest group of graduating professional master’s students to date.

Dacia Carter

Long before discovering the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) at Penn, Dacia Carter had committed herself to community service in and around Waterloo, Iowa. She worked in the juvenile court services, with school districts, and with family and community programs. Along the way, Dacia learned how to help youth and adults build resilience skills and cultivate their best lives.

Samantha Fox

After graduating from Penn with degrees in business and English and spending some time in the workforce, Sam Fox (Core Studies `23) found herself at a crossroads. While she loved her undergraduate experience, she was reconsidering her professional trajectory. "I spent a year and a half working for a marketing consulting firm and hated it," she recalls. "I chose a career path when I was 18 and I no longer felt like it was the right one for me. So, I took a step back to consider my interests and ways that I could explore them."

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