In the midst of the summer of 2020, during COVID-19 shutdowns and the height of the mass protest movement in response to the murder of George Floyd, a handful of Pre-Health Programs students preparing for medical school were motivated to give back. The first step was organizing a student group that would serve as a platform for education on the social determinants of health—a traditionally overlooked area of health education.

The College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) is pleased to congratulate the students, faculty, and staff who contributed to a standout showing at the 2022 University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) Mid-Atlantic awards.

By the time she applied for the job as the Penn Quaker, first-generation college student and Cuban American Sophia Zehler (MPA `22) was already a mascotting pro. Zehler began her mascot career as an undergraduate in 2018 as the Blue Hen at the University of Delaware, then at Fordham University as Ramses the Ram after a transfer. “Being a mascot is unique in what it is and what it offers,” Zehler says. “It makes you stand out. It gave me so much, in and out of suit.”

Author and College of Liberal and Professional Studies alumnus David Jackson Ambrose (Bachelor of Arts `13) writes novels about marginalized identities in America: characters whose race, sexuality, disability, or poverty make them particularly vulnerable to violence and exploitation in American capitalism.

Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) students all take their own unique path to Penn. Most are working adults from a variety of professional backgrounds; some are new in their careers, while others are preparing to advance or pivot to a new field. What they all have in common is their curiosity, passion for learning, and ambition.