2011 Outstanding Senior

Sarah Peterson of Robesonia, Pa., received the Outstanding Senior Award at the college's commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. May 14, in Eisenhower Auditorium on the University Park campus.

This award, sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society and the Coaly Society, honors the senior who best balances outstanding academics, extracurricular activities, work experience and communication skills. Candidates are selected based on resumes, grades, interviews and a short essay.

Peterson received her bachelor's degree in Immunology and Infectious Disease with a grade point average of 3.50. Active in several extracurricular activities, she served as an Ag Advocate and as president of the Biomedical Sciences Club throughout 2009, and she was a member of the Atlas THON Fundraising team, the top independent fundraising team from 2008 to 2010.

Peterson has worked and interned at several locations during her college career. She volunteered in an orphanage in Heredia, Costa Rica, during the summer of 2009, teaching special-needs children English. She also served as a student mentor in the Science-U Science Camp in 2009 and played an active role in several research projects at the Reading Hospital Medical Center and at Penn State with Dr. Paulson in 2010.