What's up FOTO fam!
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Eric Benditt and I graduated in the fall of 2024 (but stuck around a little too long this past spring semester). I was involved with FOTO for four years of my college career serving as a liaison, finance, donor relations, and alumni officer during my time (vice prex too wanted to flex) while having the great opportunity to dance in THON 2023 for FOTO.
My freshman year wasn't the typical experience. It started out back in 2020... the covid era. Classes were fully remote, campus life was practically nonexistent, and I had no clue what clubs or opportunities were even out there. I felt completely disconnected, like I was missing out on the social side of college that everyone talks about. As you all know, being far from home and not meeting new people can be hard and take its toll so much that I even thought about transferring. Luckily, I stuck it out and went into my sophomore year with a goal of getting involved. I had always heard about Penn State THON before coming here, so I made it a priority to explore student organizations. I went to the involvement fair like many of you and talked to so many different clubs — including eight different THON orgs. I collected all my different paper qr codes and assessed. I sat in on a bunch of different meetings and was bored out of my mind. Until luckily, the last meeting I went to was in THE forum building where I found FOTO. From the moment I walked in, the energy in the room made me feel like I belonged, even though I was surrounded by complete strangers. The board seemed genuinely close, like a true group of friends who could have fun but at the same time working together toward something much bigger than themselves. The moral of the story is to tell all of you new faces (and returning) that you're right where you belong.
FOTO was truly my calling at Penn State and could not imagine my time there without it. There's so much to get involved with it can almost be overwhelming at times, but that's the great thing about it. You can be as involved as you'd like to be. Between fundraisers, family visits, IM sports (flag football), tailgates - you name it - there's a ton to get involved in. And the best part of it all is you get to do it with some of your best friends. I met some of my closest friends through FOTO that I got to share some of the best moments of my college experience with including meeting my future wife and best friend who I also got to dance with in THON! You never know who you'll meet and the impact they'll make on your life. It's amazing how fast this group becomes a part of your circle.
But aside from the social aspect of it all, the difference you make in the lives of children and families is truly rewarding. I know fundraising can be tedious, but there are so many ways to make it fun whether that be in my case competing to chug a half gallon of milk in a minute, eating an entire raw onion during a meeting, or recreating the bet on it video from hsm in the middle of winter… the possibilities really are endless. But not only are we fundraising for pediatric cancer, but we're also support for our four families. Family visits are such a great time to not only meet and get close to people but to also get to know some of our amazing kids. Between the nerf gun fights, running around, or random made up games, their energy is truly endless. So show up and get involved. Even a little interaction could be a huge bright spot for one of the kids and provide them with a memory or moment of happiness to hang on to even when times are hard.
Anyways, I know I have been rambling but I hope you are all still with me, but I want to leave you all with some advice. Throw yourself into this organization and stick with it. The more that you put into FOTO, the more you get out of it. Take chances and put yourself out there. I sure am grateful that I did. College can be a scary and challenging time, but it makes it a lot easier when you have a good support system and friends to walk with you through it all. Go to every meeting, go to bake sales, go to visits. I know you may not feel like it and may be tired, but they never fail to provide a moment of fun and relief from stress.
To the board, keep putting in that work. It's a long year, but it all pays off. Remember why we do this! Don't forget that. Bring the energy each week and to every event!. Be the driving factor for all the new folks in the room just as us alumni were for you way back to get you involved and where you are now. Make them feel like they belong because we, FOTO, are a family.
I am super excited to see all that you guys accomplish this year. Expecting big things including a deep flag football playoff run. That starts with you Trace and all the juniors out there you know who you are. Bring your talents back to FOTO. This will be your only warning…
Party hard and celebrate your wins. I'll see you all soon
BDR
