Penelope Schweitzer is a straight-A student with a big heart for volunteerism and for helping new USF students get acclimated to everything that USF offers. She is a Portuguese American who arrived at USF having already earned an associate degree in high school.
Schweitzer is not one to sit on the sidelines. In fact, she has been active in on-campus activities since the first day she got here. She describes herself as a hard-working junior with a passion for working to support fellow USF students by improving their on-campus experiences.
She was a senator for her dorm in the Residence Hall Association. She was also an Honors Orientation Mentor with the Judy Genshaft Honors College. This semester, she will be presenting her research on German culture and fashion at the Undergraduate Research Conference.
This school year, Schweitzer served as a Peer Advisor Leader for the USF Office of New Student Connections. Through that role, she has worked with hundreds of second-year students who spent their freshmen year completely online. She mentored a core group of 50 students, helping them feel comfortable at USF and ensuring student success.
Beyond the halls of academia, Schweitzer volunteers with Suncoast Hospice/Empath Health where she has logged over 300 service hours in the teen and adult volunteer program. “This is a very personal cause for me since my Vavo, or “grandma” in Portuguese, had a major stroke in 2014 and I’ve seen how vital hospice/nursing care is for families,” she said.
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Penny is awesome!
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