Today, I spent my last full day as Humphrey Fellow 2021-2022 at Penn State University in State College, PA. Most of the day was spent saying goodbye to colleagues who embarked on the next phase of our Humphrey Fellowship journey today, packing and cleaning up my apartment, all of which are difficult 'business' as they are quite emotionally and physically taxing.
After cleaning and packing, I did spend a few hours just walking around the campus, getting 're-integrated' for the last time in the Penn State community and environment. The campus was starting to bloom again after a long winter, and it's colorful and beautiful! It's graduation season in the University, so my colleague and I saw many students in their graduation robe, taking photos in the iconic spots in the campus. Most people wear a smile on their faces, or just have an air of cheerfulness about them, and it feels wonderful! I am sad that I have to leave the campus within the next 12 hours... just when it starts to look fresh and cheerful again. I did enjoy the beautiful autumn, and the pretty winter. I say 'pretty winter' just because for the most harsh part of winter, I was working elsewhere warm and sunny! Hehe...
Anyway, I leave with a heavy heart because I made a lot of incredible friends in Penn State, but I am so excited to begin anew in the next phase of my Humphrey Journey. I will commence my first non-local Professional Affiliation at the Cornell Food Venture Center in Geneva, NY while maintaining residence in Ithaca, NY and general affiliation at the Department of Food Science in Cornell University. In a way, it is a 'homecoming' to my PhD alma mater. I am excited to be reconnected with my PhD mentors and friends at the Cornell Filipino Association (CFA)!
So, I am keeping the faith and the excitement!
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Photo credit: All photos in the collage above belongs to yours truly.
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