As Jordan Polillo prepares to graduate on May 10, she reflects on her time at Penn State Brandywine and the unique experiences she had.
Majors: Business (marketing option) and project and supply chain management
Graduation Date: May 10, 2025
MEDIA, Pa. – As Jordan Polillo prepares to graduate on May 10, she reflects on her time at Penn State Brandywine and the unique experiences she had.
“I knew I wanted to go to a big-name school; that was very important to me,” she said, “but with Penn State, the alumni network caught my attention. I wanted to stay at Brandywine to save money, and I was able to stay close to home while still getting that Penn State education. I was also able to experience a small-school setting while attending a big-name institution.”
During her time at Brandywine, Polillo was very involved on campus. She was active with the Student Government Association, where she served as president during the 2024-25 academic year. She was also an orientation leader, involved with the Council of Club Presidents and Brandywine Benefitting THON, on the Student Initiated Fee committee, a resident assistant and a student-athlete, playing on the women’s soccer and tennis teams.
“All of these roles shaped me to be who I am today,” she said. “I was able to meet people from diverse backgrounds who had different viewpoints from my own. These experiences helped broaden my horizons.”
Polillo noted that one of her greatest accomplishments during her time at Brandywine was learning how to find balance with her involvement, schoolwork and social life.
“I came in my first year of college thinking I was going to be this outgoing person all four years, joining everything and being a part of everything. And even though I am, I’ve learned how to maintain balance and how to prioritize what’s important,” she said. “I maintained that balance and learned how to manage getting my schoolwork done, focusing on my mental health and figuring out how to grow mentally and socially.”
Upon graduating from Penn State, Polillo will be working full-time as an electronic visit verification specialist at 365 Health Services while attending West Chester University to get her master’s degree in business administration.
When reflecting on her favorite memory from her time at Brandywine, Polillo recalled a snow day during her third year of college.
“Sledding down the hill outside of Orchard Hall with my residents was one of my favorite memories,” she said. “We used trays from the cafeteria and went sledding down the hill. It was also some of my residents’ first time seeing snow, which was a fun experience.”
The greatest piece of advice Polillo received during her time at Brandywine came from Don Brennan, interim co-director of student affairs and assistant director of resident life.
Proving yourself wrong is so important because, at the end of the day, you’re what matters most.—Jordan Polillo , class of 2025
“The greatest lesson I learned came from Don. He’s always saying, ‘prove me wrong.’ Proving yourself wrong is so important because, at the end of the day, you’re what matters most,” she said.
When advising future Brandywine students, Polillo emphasized the importance of getting involved while maintaining a healthy balance.
“Get involved, but don’t drain yourself completely,” she said. “You have four years, which is a long time. You don’t want to jump into everything too quickly, but you still should get involved while in college.”
