Major: Human Development and Family Studies

Minors: Psychology and Civic and Community Engagement

Graduation Date: May 4, 2024

As Amanda Floyd prepares for commencement on May 4, she reflects on her time as a student at Penn State Brandywine and the unique experiences she had.

“I chose to attend Penn State Brandywine because of its proximity to home,” she said. “I also liked that it had the major I wanted to pursue, and I was also able to play collegiate volleyball and basketball.”

During her time at Brandywine, Floyd played for the women’s basketball and volleyball teams. She was also one of Brandywine’s top scorers in basketball, earning 1,753 points during her five years of playing. She said earning 1,000 points in her first three years was her greatest accomplishment.

“Scoring 1,000 points in three years for basketball was definitely one of my greatest accomplishments during my time here,” she noted. “During my time on the basketball team, I also became the second all-time leading scorer at Brandywine for basketball. I was just 48 points away from being the first all-time leading scorer.”

She also commented on the benefits she received from being involved in collegiate sports, noting how being on the court relieves her stress.

“Being a part of volleyball and basketball allowed me to take some time away from school and my personal life, which was great,” Floyd said. “When I’m on the court, it’s like all my stressors are gone, and it’s a nice, relaxing time when I’m playing sports.”

When reflecting on her favorite memory at Penn State Brandywine, two memories came to Floyd’s mind: playing volleyball at University Park in the recreation center and the Bryce Jordan Center.

“During my first year, I played in the recreation center at University Park for the volleyball semifinals, and I played in the Bryce Jordan Center for the championship game,” she recalled. “We did lose both games, but it was honestly such a cool experience for our team, and it was amazing to have that chance as a first-year student.”

Floyd said one of the most valuable lessons she’s learned during her time at Brandywine is to not be afraid to take a chance or take risks, specifically citing her decision to stay in college for an extra year as a risk she took.

“I was eligible to do another year of sports, but I wasn’t sure if that was the path I wanted to take. When I was trying to decide whether or not to be in college for one more year, it took me until the last day until I could apply to graduate to decide,” she recalled.

“Now, looking back, I would’ve decided to do another year in a heartbeat. I really learned that taking a risk can be important because you never know what opportunities are going to come your way.”

When advising future Brandywine students, Floyd said to put yourself out there during your first year, as it will be a great opportunity to make new friends.

“I didn’t know a lot of people coming to Brandywine, and doing a lot of the Week of Welcome activities helped me make a lot of friends,” she said.

She also commented on the importance of taking academics seriously during their time in college.

“Go to class and do your homework because academics are extremely important, and also, you don’t want to waste any of the money you’re paying to go to college,” Floyd said. “Take all of your classes seriously, and make sure you schedule all of your courses correctly so you can graduate when you want to.”