The story is pretty typical, when I was a little girl my parents strapped me in the back of their car and we took a road trip to the happiest place on earth-- Happy Valley. We took pictures on the lion, went to the creamery, strolled out front of Old Main and my father who is an alum had a grin from ear to ear the entire time. I never quite understood what made this place so special as just a little girl, but it seemed to make everyone smile and the energy was unrivaled.

Having a father who played football at Penn State, Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lion's were a household name. I was proud of the football team they built, the wins and losses and what it meant to be a Nittany Lion. My father always preached how Penn State made him the man he was today, how Joe Paterno was far more than just football coach and how Penn State exceeds far past being an exceptional educational facility.

I was proud of that before I even thought about college applications-- I was proud of that before I was even lucky enough to call State College home.

There is no question our football team has had its ups and downs. There is no question that we have made mistakes and the road has not always been smooth sailing. There is no question that we aren't perfect. But what makes Penn State, Penn State-- is that fact we can rise from all of this. Rising from a scandal that completely knocks down your entire football team is something that few schools could do. Not everyone could say they have a fan base willing to endure that, players willing to endure the sanctions or academics able to withstand it, but we do.

Penn State is on the rise again and our community is elated, but it doesn't mean we haven't always been elated. It doesn't mean we haven't always been proud, it doesn't mean we haven't always loved being a Nittany Lion. It's a great time to be a Penn Stater. The vibes are good, the mood is impressive and the times are well, but it's always a good time to be a Penn Stater.

I understand the reason my dad always had a smile on when talking about this place. I've never been more proud to say I attend Penn State.

"They tried to burry us but what they didn't know is we were seeds"

We Are.