Homecoming 2026: Penn State, WE ARE the World

It is Homecoming at Penn State. And while the weekend spins on the axis of a football game, it is so much more than that. It is a time for students to celebrate with a parade and events forging friendships and memories that will last long after their time here.

It is time for alumni to return to our Alma Mater. Our four- or five-year journeys of discovery molded us. It was more than the pursuit of a degree. We found ourselves, our friendships, and some even found the love of a lifetime.

During Homecoming, we walk campus sidewalks, past our old dorms, classroom buildings or labs or libraries where we grew from youth into adulthood. While some things remain, much has changed. For now, debating the merits of the pace of change takes a backseat to recapturing happy memories while adding new moments to cherish. 

In 2026 the concept of Homecoming is as strong as ever, and perhaps more important than ever. In a society where technology, politics, disagreements and fear drive wedges between so many of us, Homecoming draws us together through a connectivity of the human experience that no one can ever make us forget.

For generations Penn State has welcomed the world. That has not and must not change.

In last week’s Board of Trustees meetings I was struck by how Penn State is a shining light attracting people from everywhere. In our Friday trustee meeting, we heard from Penn State Professor Guido Cervone, who has been studying AI long before it became a thing. Andrew Read, the head of Penn State research, university Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos and President Neeli Bendapudi were in the room. Four people from four countries on three continents.

The Nittany Lion statue and the chant of “WE ARE” are physical and emotional symbols. They tell everyone that our open door to a better life is alive and well. We are a shimmering dream on the horizon inspiring people around the world.

Penn State’s draw is inescapable. That is a good thing. And it remains with the students here now. 

Walk the sidewalks of this campus and community on a sunny day and you’ll see people seated outside places like Irving’s or Starbucks or the Cheese Shoppe sipping coffee and talking. Stroll across campus, or through the graduate housing out by the golf course. Wait in line at one of the many places serving up halal or Middle Eastern or Indian or Thai or Mediterranean cuisine and you’ll walk away with a great meal and a new perspective on Penn State.

You’ll hear accents and languages from so many different places that it is breathtaking in its depth and breadth. 

The world is here.

In 2026 some think this is something to fear. But at Penn State we have the hearts of lions; we respect all and fear nothing. We have an inner strength, pride and commitment to making our roar echo through our valley, over the mountains and across the Commonwealth, the nation and in every corner of the globe. 

Certainly not everyone always feels 100% welcome. Whether it is a Black student from Philadelphia, or a Jewish or Muslim student or a foreign student from Asia or the Middle East, they may encounter people who fail to live up to the values of true Penn Staters. Those looking to exclude others should have no place here.

After all, even most of us that were born here are not so far removed from immigrant roots. For some who left their mark at Penn State, it may have begun with a Calabrian grandfather who jumped ship in New York, leaving a sailor’s bitter life behind for the spark of possibility.

What matters most is the soul shared by the overwhelming majority of us at Penn State. We believe in William Penn’s founding principles of this Commonwealth; as a haven of freedom in a world of religious oppression. Penn State must draw inspiration from our Commonwealth’s founding of freedom for all because we sprung from seeds sown by President Lincoln and federal legislation passed in the darkest days of the Civil War.

Today our vision is more important than ever. Our call to welcome the world must remain strong. While the cyberworld seeks to divide us, the bonds formed by personal connections and shared experiences are unbreakable; a bulwark against weak-minded cowards sowing the seeds of division.

In 2026 at Penn State, we seek to change the world one moment at a time, one student at a time, and we strive to have people leave here as better people than when they arrived. We seek to extend a welcoming open hand of peace to bridge phony divisions created by others hoping we will turn our backs on our shared human condition.

It is an imperfect pursuit to be sure, but what human endeavor has ever been completely flawless? We will fall short.

But imperfection must never instill fear. After all, we are mighty Nittany Lions. We never act out of fear, but rather we lead through strength of heart, of mind and driven by our fierce pride.

This Homecoming weekend is a good time to reflect on all that makes us unique, to reflect on our place both in and of the world we hope to change. Generations of returning alumni walking the streets with our current students can all revel in an idea of “WE ARE” because “WE” is the highest pronoun of all. 

Penn State’s founding vision of education for all existed before we came here. It must endure today and extend to future generations long after we are gone. After all, belief in and defense of our core mission is required to be part of a community that greets one another with the enduring words “WE ARE.”