MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Fabian Vantassell, from Newville, Pennsylvania, will receive his bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and sociology during Penn State Harrisburg’s fall 2024 commencement ceremony. Here, he shares his journey as a first-generation college student, overcoming adversity to find success on campus.

“My upbringing consisted of having divorced parents, a low-income background, bouncing from place to place in Pennsylvania, and a multitude of other adverse experiences," Vantassell said. "Under those circumstances, I should have been another number to add to the statistics, and college seemed like more of a fantasy than a reality. However, I envisioned more for myself.

"Despite the hardships, I successfully graduated from high school, navigated through the college application process, and eventually chose to attend Penn State Harrisburg. It was a campus that carried all the prestige of Penn State, had a strong sense of community, and I would be able to afford it. So, at 18 years of age, I moved out on my own with no car or license, but with a new job within biking distance of campus. I had to figure out how I was going to support myself entirely. The odds were still stacked against me in this new chapter of my life, but being a first-generation student, I was determined to break the cycle.

"In time I would find myself transitioning from a quiet student simply trying to survive, into a recognized member of the community who was excelling. I fell in love with the family-like community we have at our campus and found a desire to give back to that which gave so much to me.

"As someone who worked up to 50 hours a week, was involved in multiple organizations, including my fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and maintained academic excellence, it was critical that I got the support I did while at Penn State Harrisburg — especially when I experienced a partial lung collapse during my first semester as President of the Student Government Association. Support included leading me to resources like the food pantry, connecting me to internships (I completed two), keeping me motivated in times of struggle, and being a beam of support I could lean on. The community here kept me afloat. 

"Serving as Student Government Association president was an opportunity that allowed me the chance to lead and passionately represent my community. I accompanied college administrators to the state Capitol in Harrisburg to advocate for my peers, established the Student Government Association’s first student needs gift, was involved in the process of planning future construction happening on campus, and had many other opportunities that allowed me to represent the interest of my peers as strongly as I could.

"I am forever grateful for the experiences I have had, the support I received, the legacy I have left behind, and the chance to show others that despite your background, you can beat the statistics. You can break the cycle.”