Elizabeth Ann Holtzinger-Jennings

Penn State is in my bloodline. If you are a Holtzinger, it is nearly an expectation that you attend Penn State at some point in your life. This history began with my grandfather, Ted Holtzinger, who had a vision for his fellow townspeople in Altoona, PA. After the second world war, my grandfather yearned for Altoona veterans to return to their hometown and pursue an education. It is with this notion that he and a group of local businessmen initiated the idea of a Penn State campus in Altoona. Founded in Ivyside Park, the campus became one of Penn State's first commonwealth campuses. Probably some fifty years later, I was faced with the dilemma of choosing a college. In spite of my family's history, I wanted to rebel. I threatened Pitt and Ohio State, but when my parents informed me that I would have to foot the bill for those applications, I quickly changed my mind and settled upon Penn State's Altoona Campus. I spent two years there before heading to the main campus. I graduated in 1995 with a bachelor of arts in English. But I had no clear vision of who or what I wanted to be when I grew up. So I spent the next three years trying to "find myself." That lead me to the graduate program at Penn State in the College of Education. Here, I would earn my Master of Education in 2000. I landed this job at Penn State shortly after. I'm pretty sure Ted would be proud. And I can't help but wonder what would've happened if I had chosen to pay for those other applications. :)