The Penn State Way

Growing up in State College can teach you many things. Growing up in the shadows of Penn State can you teach many things. Being a Penn State fan can teach you many things, but what exactly are those things? I've lived in State College my whole life and have grown up bleeding blue and white. My family is Penn State through and through and to me that has been the best part of my life, being a Penn State fan. My family has taught me to treat people the way you want to be treated, to respect people and they'll respect you. Every parent will tell their kids that, but in State College, it means so much more. It's not a very big community, kind of secluded from everything else. There has always been one thing that you'll learn whether you've lived here, or  attending school here, it's to do things the Penn State way. What is the Penn State way? It's doing things with pride, making a difference in the community, and making everything count. None of that would be possible without the vision of one man, Joe Paterno. His dad wanted him to be a lawyer, but he wanted to be a coach. His dad asked him if he could make a difference by being a coach, Paterno answered that question with 60 plus years of difference making. He took Beaver Stadium from a 46,000 seat stadium, to a 110,000 seat cathedral for college football. Yeah he cared about what happened on the field, but he cared a hundred times more what you did OFF the field. What you did in the community, what you did in the classroom, what you did for your school, your family, and your team. Penn State has always had some of the highest graduation rates among its athletes, and that's in part to Joe Paterno's commitment to excellence. He never wanted the stadium named after him, instead he wanted the library in his name. On fall Saturday's the Penn State family gathers in the house that Joe built to show their Penn State pride, and that's never more evident when "We Are....Penn State" is echoed throughout the 110,000 seat stadium. What does "We Are" mean? It means we are one; one family, one community, one school. This community was shocked in November when the Jerry Sandusky story broke, we were shocked that something like this could happen in such a place, a place like State College, where nothing wrong had ever happened. We had to rally around our school and show everyone that we were still Penn State and the actions of one man wouldn't bring us down. We had to rally around our coach when everyone else was bringing him down, breaking his image which he held up high where it should be. Nothing people say can take away from what Joe Paterno has done for Penn State, State College, college football, and everyone involved in this community. The work he did, the amount of time and energy spent making Penn State a successful place, changing the lives of thousands, will never be matched. The Penn State way will never fall, it will be stronger than ever now, and we will carry on Joe Paterno's idea of making a difference. All of this is possible because We Are....Penn State.