Student finds path, & confidence, at Central Penn
Support, encouragement and club involvement helped her take on the now and the future
By Hannah Pasquarella
Knightly News Reporter
As graduation day gets closer, I’ve found myself thinking about just how fast this chapter in my collegiate story went. People always told me that my college years would fly by, and I never believed them until now, with me standing only days away from completing my bachelor’s degree and stepping into the next stage of my life.
My journey here wasn’t exactly straightforward. In fact, it didn’t start at Central Penn College. I began as a media and journalism major at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 2021, filled with freshman excitement and eagerness to learn more about the field I had learned to love. The reality of my experience there quickly shifted. A merger of state university campuses pushed nearly all my classes online, I struggled immensely with my mental health, I was failing classes left and right, I didn’t have a roommate, and day after day, I began to feel like I wasn’t cut out for the journalism world. I left Bloomsburg feeling defeated and unsure of what came next.
When I transferred to Central Penn in October 2023, I wasn’t confident—I was cautious. I walked into the building, carrying the weight of everything that had gone wrong at Bloomsburg. Because of that, I stayed quiet at first, keeping to myself and avoiding any campus involvement. I was there simply to get my degree, but I also didn’t want to feel defeated again.
But what I didn’t know was that this campus—and the people I would meet—were about to change everything for me.
Finding my place
Even when I felt closed off, Professor Michael Lear-Olimpi and Professor Paul Miller saw potential in me long before I saw it in myself. Semester after semester, they gently encouraged me to join The Knightly News Media Club. And semester after semester, I told them no. I didn’t think my writing was strong enough. I wasn’t confident enough.
Then came the summer of 2024—the term that quietly changed the direction of my college career. I helped with a campus food drive, something small that quickly grew into a newfound connection with the Central Penn College food pantry. Through the pantry, I felt like I had found my purpose. I planned and oversaw two food drives that directly supported the Central Penn College campus, and for the first time in my college journey, I felt genuinely proud of myself.
That pride is what finally pushed me to take the leap I had been afraid of for over a year, and on Oct. 24, 2024, my first Knightly News article was published.
Becoming part of The Knightly News
Publishing that first story opened a door I had been standing in front of for far too long. The Knightly News became the place where I found my voice—the real one, the one that Bloomsburg never gave me the chance to find.
I wrote about the food pantry, sports, mental health, tuition increase and the topics that don’t always get enough attention but deserve to be heard. I even wrote openly about my own journey with being diagnosed with cancer, which was something I never imagined I would share publicly.
The more I wrote, the more I realized that The Knightly News wasn’t just a club. It was a space where I could grow, connect and reclaim the confidence I had almost lost completely.
Stepping into leadership
When the time came to announce new club officers, I didn’t expect to hear my name. I was graduating sooner rather than later, and I knew I wasn’t the loudest or most visible member. But my work with the pantry, my writing and my willingness to take on meaningful topics stood out–and for that, I am deeply grateful.
Becoming media-club vice president in May 2025 was one of the biggest surprises of my college journey. It showed me that leadership isn’t always about who is the most outgoing or the most experienced. Sometimes it is about who is willing to speak up, tell different stories and push themselves even when it feels uncomfortable.
Holding that role taught me a lot about myself—that I am capable, that my voice does matter and that stepping outside of my comfort zone can lead to doors I never expected to open.
Growth inside and outside the classroom
Academically, my transformation at Central Penn was just as significant. After spending months at Bloomsburg feeling like I wasn’t smart enough or strong enough to succeed, I suddenly found myself making the dean’s list and earning straight A’s.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had control over my path. I trusted myself.
Beyond my writing, my internship with The Spark, a program at WITF FM radio, allowed me to grow in ways that will shape my future career. I strengthened my reporting abilities. I also practiced audio work, photography, content creation and graphic design. These are skills I will carry with me forever after I leave Central Penn.
Looking toward to what comes next
After graduation, my goal, at first, is to stay semi-local, reporting in Lancaster or Harrisburg. There may not be news-reporter openings now, but I am open to stepping into roles that will strengthen my journalism skills until the right opportunity comes. Thanks to The Knightly News and to The Spark, I know that I am ready–not just technically but emotionally.
Central Penn helped me rebuild who I am as a journalist but more importantly, who I am as a person.
A message to the future
If there is one thing I hope future students and Knightly News members take away from this experience, it’s this: Do not close yourself off from the people who want to help you grow.
Fear almost kept me from joining The Knightly News. A bad experience almost made me miss out on one of the best parts of my college journey. But once I opened myself up–even just a little–everything changed. You never know what opportunity is waiting for you on the other side of hesitation.
So get involved, even when it is scary. Say yes to things that push you or make you uncomfortable. You might surprise yourself the way I did.
Signing off
Looking back, I am so grateful–for the professors who believed in me, for the club that gave me a voice, for the pantry that gave me purpose and for the small moments that turned into big transformations.
My time at Central Penn College was not perfect, and it wasn’t easy, but I will say that it was exactly what I needed.
And now, as I prepare to turn the page, it feels right to end this chapter the way a reporter would: This is Hannah Pasquarella for the Knightly News–officially signing off.
Pasquarella served as vice president of The Knightly News Media Club @ Central Penn College.
Edited by media-club co-adviser and this blog’s editor, Professor Michael Lear-Olimpi.
