Hi everyone!! For those of you who don’t know me my name is Makenna Mink. I graduated from Penn State in 2022. I’m from Glen Mills, PA and I got my degree in Communications. I currently work in Non-Profit and literally owe landing my job to all the work I did in FOTO, which just shows one of the many, many ways FOTO stays with you after you graduate. I want it on record that joining FOTO was by far the best decision I made in my 4 years in state college.
I joined FOTO as a freshman to meet new people and get involved in something meaningful. At the involvement fair, I stumbled upon their table and was immediately hooked after going to my first meeting. It didn’t take long for me to realize that FOTO was going to play a big role in my college experience. My sophomore year, I got to compete in the Thon Showcase with fellow FOTO alum, Jeremy Fratoni. We placed second which resulted in us performing at THON itself, which was a surreal and unforgettable moment. (Video below, whoever’s reading this please don’t torture everyone by making them watch).
My junior year, I took on the role of the first-ever Digital Fundraising Chair, and during my senior year, I served as one of the Member Relations Chairs alongside Bryson Morgan. Now, the unmatched, best thing I ever got to do for FOTO was when I had the honor of dancing in THON my senior year. It was by far the most physically and emotionally challenging weekend of my life, but also one of the most beautiful. The experience literally altered my brain chemistry, and I’ll carry that weekend in a special place in my heart the rest of my life.
FOTO is more than just an organization to me; it was my home at Penn State. I met some of my closest friends and shared so many unforgettable moments—from scavenger hunts to tossing a toy brain around like a hot potato at 3 a.m on the final day of THON. The people in FOTO are unlike any others, and I have the privilege of witnessing the lifelong connections it brings. I literally get to be in the wedding of two alum who met and fell in love through FOTO. If that doesn't scream fostering long term relationships I don’t know what does.
I want to leave you with a few thoughts. To the new members, thank you for joining. Stick with it—I promise you’ll be so glad you did. To those of you who were freshmen when I was a senior, I miss you and wish you the best for your final THON. To those I haven’t met, thank you for caring about FOTO just as deeply as I did. College can get overwhelming, but FOTO will always keep you grounded. And finally, to those of you dancing, go kill it. You’re all going to do amazing things, and I couldn’t be prouder of you.