The Penn State World Campus community — alumni, friends, and staff — came together during GivingTuesday 2025 to make a meaningful difference for students.
Through the generosity of 48 donors, World Campus gained $5,540 across two initiatives that help learners overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Several donors supported both funds, an incredible commitment to student success.
Charles E. and Carol E. Snyder World Campus Alumni Society Open Doors Scholarship
This fund benefits students in Smart Track to Success, a program that combines financial assistance with coaching and life skills instruction to help students navigate their first year at Penn State World Campus. The goal is to help students build their confidence to succeed and continue into their second year and beyond.
This year, 32 donors contributed a total of $4,175 to the scholarship fund. Mark Poblete, president of the World Campus Alumni Society, and his wife, Carol, led the effort by providing a matching fund, and members of the Society’s leadership group contributed enough to fund one student for an entire year of the program.
One Smart Track to Success participant said this about the program’s impact: “I thought college was impossible to do as a single-income mom. I am able to give my son the life I never had and myself a life I never thought I deserved growing up.”
First to Rise: World Campus First-Generation Student Support Fund
This fund is a new initiative designed to assist students who are the first in their families to pursue a college degree. For fall 2025, Penn State World Campus is home to more than 3,000 first-generation undergraduate students.
First-gen students often lack financial resources and cannot draw on family experience to help them navigate the demands of higher education. They may also carry the emotional weight of breaking new ground.
Twenty donors contributed a total of $1,365 to the World Campus First-Generation Student Support Fund — a great start to this new opportunity! One first-generation student said this about the feeling of being the first in her family to go to college: “I take pride in being the first in my family to strive for something greater than myself.”
Part of the funds will help establish a Tri-Alpha honor society chapter at Penn State World Campus, which provides national recognition, mentorship, and leadership opportunities for first-generation students. Additional resources will support community-building efforts, ensuring these students feel a sense of belonging and connection.
Thank you for your generosity
Your generosity is helping us fulfill the promise of Penn State World Campus by opening doors for students who need it most. Every gift matters, and every act of support brings us closer to helping all students thrive.