Emma Duffy, A Kaxom of Opportunities
There are people who are busy. And then, there are people who are really busy. Meet Emma Duffy (Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management student). When Emma lists the activities she is involved with at Penn State, she laughs. “I probably do way too much.”
A native of Springfield, Pennsylvania, Emma comes from a family of Penn Staters. “Penn State was the only school I applied to. I applied to Altoona campus and to main campus and was accepted to Main.” Emma is excited that her younger sister will be joining her at University Park this summer.
When asked what advice she would give to new Penn State students like her sister, Emma replied “Be as involved as you can. Try out as much as you can. Do I like this? Do I like that? Figure out what you want to do by trying it.”
Emma has tried and been successful at many things while at Penn State. She is a member of Penn State’s Outing Club. She is a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, and has served as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) chair. For three years, Emma was a student programmer for Penn State’s Center for Sexual and Gender Equity, assisting with large events, planning and developing small events and working directly with students. She is the founder of KAXOM (pronounced chasm) which is Penn State’s first Queer service organization.
Emma came to Penn State with a plan to major in Biology. In conversations with friends in the PSU Outing Club who were RPTM majors, she realized there were options that were more in line with her passions. “I wanted to plan events. I wanted to work with communities including the Queer community. I wanted to do something that brings about change.” She soon declared RPTM as her major.
Emma’s internship choice shows that “above and beyond” attitude. Emma is currently interning with the Peace Retreat in Costa Rica. Her position is in Guest Experiences, assisting with special projects and events, managing the finances and accounts for retreat activities, and helping with ceremonies and adventure activities.
“My step-mom actually came to the Peace Retreat,” said Emma. “She learned when she was there that they have internships. When she got back, she gave me the owner’s name. After exchanging several emails and sending my resume, some meetings with me and Kevin and the Director of Guest Experiences, I was accepted. My final decision was easy; I only applied to one agency.”
“I am most excited about being immersed in a culture that is different from my own,” said Emma. “I was excited to arrive alone and foster relationships with people I had never met, including my co-workers and the guests who visit the center. I was also excited to bring my individualized skills to Peace Retreat. As my skill set lies in working directly with guests and creating events, there was a perfect opportunity for me to make a difference throughout my time here.”
An internship outside of the United States fit Emma’s goals. She had tried to arrange a semester study abroad or a Maymester embedded travel course, but she couldn’t fit them in with her academic schedule. She has found the differences in communities from suburban Philadelphia and University Park to Los Pargos as an opportunity to grow. “This is a small community. Everyone knows everyone else,” she said.
When she returns from Costa Rica, Emma has two semesters of course work at University Park to complete to earn her degree. She will, of course, be involved in activities outside of the classroom. To diversify her background, she’s looking at several options within the DEIB programs at Penn State or perhaps Centre LGBT of State College.
“I was nervous about coming alone, even though it was one of the most exciting parts,” said Emma. “I thought that everyone would speak Spanish and English, and I was very wrong. Most of my co-workers speak a minimal amount of English or no English at all (besides the guest experience team). This has fostered an opportunity for me to learn Spanish. My co-workers are helping me learn. I have been working with Duolingo, and I am going to work with a tutor. Overall, I am excited about my internship and what is ahead!”