Pennsylvania’s Surprising People
They may look like regular, run-of-the-mill college students. But outside of the classroom it's another story.
During the week John Gipe is a model student in the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State University. On the weekends, though, he likes to burn some rubber behind the wheel of his 1997 Chevrolet Camaro.
Gabriella DeMartino is one of 1,800 students attending DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. She is a sophomore communications major. However, DeMartino and her twin, Niki, live a double life as YouTube sensations with over 900,000 subscribers to their videos about fashion and beauty.
Penn State senior Yasser Mahmoud is a varsity athlete and an artist. Mahmoud hopes to compete in fencing at the Olympics. The sport is a big part of his family's life. He is also working to earn a bachelor of fine arts degree with a concentration in sculpting. His extensive knowledge of fencing comes out through his artwork, in which he expresses body movements and molds fencing masks.
Samantha Lantz is working hard to become a local news reporter after graduation. She is carrying twice the required number of credits in her last semester at Penn State, so taking an occasional break from the books is important. But even in her free time, she keeps her eyes on the target as a member of Penn State's club archery team.
About the Contributors
Annemarie Butkiewicz
Senior / Journalism and French
Annemarie Butkiewicz is a senior pursuing a degree in journalism, and French and Francophone studies. After graduation, she intends to continue telling stories through print and multimedia platforms.
Megan Swiatkowski
Senior / Broadcast Journalism
Megan Swiatkowski is a senior pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in Spanish and international studies. After I graduate, I intend to work toward my lifelong goal of reporting and producing news via print, photo, broadcast, and multimedia platforms.
Gabrielle Yocum
Senior / Broadcast Journalism
My name is Gabrielle Yocum and I am a senior at the Pennsylvania State University studying Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sociology. I am looking forward to working at Zoomph in Reston, Virginia after graduation as a Marketing Specialist.
Luke Smith
Senior / Photojournalism
Currently attending Penn State University pursuing a degree in Photojournalism. Currently I am a Senior Photographer at the Penn State student newspaper called The Daily Collegian. On my own time, I love photographing anything automotive. I’ve made pictures at motorsports events, car shows and everything in between.
