Sara Maholland, a Pottstown resident and first-generation Penn State student, is channeling her love for geography towards a career in natural disaster management, according to a staff report from the Penn State News.

Maholland is a junior geography major at Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. She received invaluable help on her college journey from the Penn State Office for Summer Session’s Student Transitional Experience Program, or STEP.

Maholland started her college career closer to Pottstown. When she fell in love with geography, she set her sights on the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. She started classes at Penn State Berks before making her way gradually to the University Park.

That transition went smoothly in big part thanks to STEP, which provides students with financial and academic support when they are making the junior-year transition to the University Park from another Penn State campus.

“STEP was amazing,” said Maholland. “The program provided terrific opportunities to network with other students, get ahead in my coursework, and just become comfortable on campus.”

Read more about Sara Maholland at the Penn State News by clicking here.