For Rachel Cole, Penn State Outreach has never simply been a place to work; it has been a place to grow. Long before she became a program manager with Penn State Outreach’s Extended Learning Partnerships (formerly Conferences and Institutes), Rachel was a camper at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, spending summers immersed in nature, building friendships, and discovering the magic that comes from learning outside of a classroom. Those early experiences sparked something that would continue to shape her life, eventually bringing her back to Outreach in a role where she now helps create those same meaningful experiences for others.
“I’ve experienced Outreach in so many different ways,” Rachel said. “As a camper, a student, a part-time employee, and now as a full-time employee. Every step along the way has shaped who I am.”
Growing up in State College, Rachel spent much of her childhood attending Shaver’s Creek programs both with her family and through summer camps. Looking back, she remembers those years as being filled with adventure, imagination, and a sense of belonging.
“It was a camp full of magic and friends and fairies in the woods,” she recalled. “I have so many meaningful memories from my time there.”
When Rachel arrived at Penn State in 2018, Outreach once again became part of her journey. Before her first semester even began, she participated in AURORA, Penn State’s outdoor orientation program, traveling to Olympic National Park for a five-day backpacking trip with fellow incoming students. The experience gave her more than an introduction to campus; it gave her confidence.
“It was the best possible way to start college,” Rachel said. “It gave me my first friends at Penn State and helped me make what at the time felt like a really scary transition. It wasn’t just about the backpacking. It was about finding people I could rely on.”
Inspired by that experience, Rachel enrolled in outdoor leadership courses and eventually became an AURORA trip leader herself. Through experiential learning, mentorship, and leadership development, she discovered a passion that extended far beyond the classroom. While she initially planned to pursue education because she wanted to help students learn and grow, her experiences with Outreach revealed another path.
“I realized these experiences were changing people’s lives,” she said. “I wanted to be part of bringing that to as many people as possible.”
After graduating from Penn State, Rachel joined Shaver’s Creek full-time before eventually returning to Outreach as a program manager with Extended Learning Partnerships. Today, she manages a diverse portfolio of youth programs, course-embedded experiential learning opportunities, and conferences and professional programs. While faculty and program leaders focus on program content, Rachel oversees the countless logistical details that make each experience possible, from hiring staff and coordinating registrations to communicating with families, ensuring compliance, and managing event operations. Although her day-to-day responsibilities revolve around planning and logistics, Rachel says she never loses sight of the bigger picture. Having once been a participant herself changes the way she approaches every program she helps organize.
“These programs changed my life,” she said. “The crux of this work is creating places where people belong. Whether it’s a summer camp, a conference, or a college program, we’re creating spaces where people can build relationships, be their authentic selves, and learn in ways they can’t anywhere else.”
That perspective influences everything she does. Rachel keeps a photo from her AURORA trip on her desk with a simple reminder attached: “Remember why you started.” It serves as a daily reminder of the experiences that shaped her own life and the reason she works so hard to create those same opportunities for others.
One moment from Rachel’s current role continues to stand out. During Weather Camp, a youth program that she manages for the Penn State Meteorology Department, Rachel sat down during dinner with a group of middle school campers. As they talked, several shared that this was the first time they had ever been surrounded by other kids who loved meteorology as much as they did.
“They told me this was the first time they’d ever felt like they were around people who really understood them,” Rachel said. “I almost started tearing up because that’s exactly why we do this work.”
Today, many of those campers still keep in touch, having formed friendships during that single week together. For Rachel, stories like that are a reminder that Outreach programs are about much more than the activities on a schedule. They create lasting communities, encourage confidence, and give people the opportunity to discover where they belong.
Looking back, Rachel says those experiences influenced not only her career path but also her decision to attend Penn State in the first place. AURORA offered a supportive transition into college at a time when she was nervous about what lay ahead, while Shaver’s Creek had already shown her the value of experiential learning from a young age. Together, those programs laid the foundation for a career dedicated to creating meaningful experiences for others.
When asked what Penn State Outreach means to her, Rachel’s answer was simple.
“It’s a place to belong.”
After experiencing Outreach as a camper, a student, a leader, and now a program manager, Rachel has come full circle. Today, she isn’t just creating camps, conferences, and educational programs; she’s creating the same sense of belonging that first inspired her years ago, ensuring the next generation of participants leaves with memories and connections that may shape their lives just as profoundly.