Hey FOTO Fam!!!
For those that do not know me, my name is Ryan (mostly just go by Kerrigan), and I
was FOTO’s president for THON 2021. I joined FOTO as a freshman and held the
positions of Liaison, Alt Funds chair, President, and danced in THON 2020! When I
went to my first meeting, I didn’t know anything about THON or FOTO, and thought
it was just another club to meet friends to go out with on the weekends. I was not
very involved my freshman year and only went to 2 meetings! I decided to check
out THON 2018 with someone on my floor in Snyder Hall who just so happened to
be in FOTO as well (shout out Kolby Rush) and stood with him in their section for a
few hours on Friday night. Fast forward to Sunday and I stood in the stands for
almost 40 hours and I was completely changed by what I had experienced. At that
moment, even though I didn’t know it, I had met some of my best friends for life,
and started a journey at Penn State through THON that completely changed me as
a person. For those listening to this now, know that regardless of how involved with
FOTO you may have been in the past, this organization will always be there to make
your own journey. I certainly never thought I would be the president of FOTO or a
dancer before my first THON!
As a crusty old graduate, I reflect on Penn State and FOTO as some of the most
formative experiences of my life. I can not stress enough how important it is to
cherish every moment you spend in this organization. Whether this is your final
THON or you are just coming to a few meetings, what you will experience at THON
2024 will leave an unshakeable impression on your life. The people I’ve met through
FOTO are my closest friends to this day, and the memories I’ve made will last a
lifetime. I would take the chance to experience it all again in a heartbeat.
Congratulations to every single one of you on another successful year. You make
the alumni proud everyday with where you have taken the organization, and I can’t
wait to watch you all crush it at THON 2024!
From Poland with Love,
Kerrigan
