Thousands of fans screaming, surrounded by blue and white, shouts of “We Are,” from one side of the stadium, completed with “Penn State,” from the other side of the stadium. This is just an average Saturday for freshman Satchel Simpson.

    At a very young age Simpson had dreamed of attending a four year university and his sophomore year in high school was when he realized Penn State was the school for him. He intends on becoming a forensics scientist which was fostered during his childhood. “I grew up with a love for superheroes, and watching them beat all the bad guys just led me to want to do the same in one way or another,” Simpson says. 

Simpson also grew up with a huge love for sports. He played basketball most of his life and plans on becoming a walk on next season for Penn State. “This year I was just mainly focused on my grades because I didn’t really know what to expect going into college,” he said. “The sports at Penn State definitely played a part in why I chose them, including the fact that their science program is great. I really wanted that full experience.”

Simpson is currently a season ticket holder for Penn State’s football and basketball seasons. He has missed one game of the season but was there to witness their shocking win over Ohio State University. “It was crazy. When the game was over so many students, including myself, were able to rush the field. We went to the field post but they had security guarding them so no one could knock them over,” he recalled.

As exciting as college is, it can also be very overwhelming. Although schedules are significantly different than Simpson’s previous high school schedule, there is more work that needs to be done. “The schedule is a lot better than high school because you have more time on your hands, but with that extra time you’re either studying for midterms or finals. It’s a lot more independent than high school. If you don’t do a homework assignment that’s just gonna hurt you. You need to study and stay on pace with your professors,” he advised.

He then added “It’s a great experience; it’s a dream come true that I could be here.”

Thousands of fans screaming, being surrounded by blue and white, the sound of the band, and crowding together for warmth. This may just be an average Saturday for Simpson, but this experience will never get old for him.