Rebecca Bauman
"I'm so grateful to this university. I've been to other schools, and this is the only one that made a difference for me."
When English major Rebecca Bauman first came to PSU, she wasn't on the typical path of most students. She already knew she wanted to work as a journalist, a career that doesn't always require a degree, therefore finishing hers wasn't a top priority. Instead, she was interested in getting experience by writing for PSU's student newspaper The Collegio.
"I enrolled in the classes I wanted, not the ones I needed," she said. "I didn't believe I could get through college. It was a long time before I felt comfortable in a classroom without wanting to bolt."
It took nearly two years and a fellowship with Esquire magazine in New York City before she changed her mind - and focus - about school. She'd had plans to build her portfolio at the magazine before seeking a job at a big publication, but as she watched her father struggle to get out of journalism himself, she worried being without a degree would limit her too much. She left the fellowship two weeks early to re-enroll at Pitt State - this time in pursuit of a degree.
"I realized I needed to prepare myself to have flexibility in my life," she said. "I was scared of committing myself to a life I wasn't sure I wanted, and I knew a degree would give me options. I was afraid of coming back and taking Algebra, Physical Science, French, all those classes I'd need. But I wanted it badly enough and I found my footing."
On track to graduate in May, she'll leave a trail of accomplishment. A longtime contributor to the Collegio, Bauman has won both national and state honors for her writing. She's also a longtime employee of PSU's Nature Reach, and has found a passion in poetry and women's studies.