Teammates for Life ‘Celebration of Excellence’ Aims to Elevate and Engage Penn State Women Athletes and Alums

Teammates For Life, Penn State’s women’s athletics initiatives, will hold a lineup of events during an extended Blue White Weekend for alumni and community members to support the university’s past, present and future female athletes.

The Celebration of Excellence has one goal in mind, said Char Morett-Curtiss, Teammates For Life director.

“We are celebrating women,” Morett-Curtiss said. “Penn State was one of the first universities to establish scholarships for women athletes, even before Title IX. We have a proud history of storied programs and athletes. To keep that going, we need to build and strengthen relationships between today’s student-athletes and the thousands of successful women who have come before them.”

Events will begin with a one-hour PowHER Panel discussion title ““Sink or Swim.” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, in 133 East Area Locker Room Building. The program is free of charge, and will provide lessons applicable to all ages and backgrounds.

Moderated by Rachel Ahrenhold McConnell, the panel features Katie Collins, Beth Fahey Albright and AnnRagan Kearns. All four women are alumnae of the Penn State swimming and diving team and are highly accomplished in their respective fields of advertising, marketing, public relations, sales, apparel/fashion and human resources.

Following the panel a fashion show will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Harper’s, 224 E. College Ave.. Penn State student-athletes will model the latest fashions, including those from Abigail Collins, the new Penn State apparel line co-founded by swimming and diving alumna Katie Collins.

Lady Lion basketball alum Maren Walseth and current women’s volleyball star Caroline Jurevicius will emcee the event. More than 30 female student-athletes, including several from this year’s national championship women’s volleyball team, are expected to take to the runway for the fun and interactive event. Harper’s will donate 10% of all sales on April 27 to Teammates For Life.

The fashion show is free to attend, but online registration is required.

“This is such a great opportunity to bring the community together to celebrate our women athletes, and to raise awareness and funds for Penn State Women’s Athletics,” Harper’s owner Lisa Cohen said. “We are thrilled to host this unique event and to welcome everyone to our shop.”

The Celebration of Excellence wraps up on Monday with participants pre-selecting either yoga at PYP Studios or a nine-hole shotgun golf scramble at Centre Hills Country Club at 9:30 a.m.. Both morning activities will be followed by a noon luncheon at Centre Hills with remarks from Penn State Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Alyssa Wilcox and Penn State swimming and diving team alumna Beth Fahey Albright.

Register online for Monday’s activities.

“Penn Staters are everywhere and everything,” Morett-Curtiss said. “Through Teammates For Life, we are building valuable connections between leaders in the community, alums and our student-athletes. Whether it’s through mentorship, leadership or internship opportunities, Penn Staters from all over are stepping up to help our student-athletes gain the confidence they need to thrive during their college years and well beyond. I invite everyone to join this uniquely-Penn State movement that I am so passionate about and honored to lead.”