Fall semester, 2024. State College, Pennsylvania.
Kealey Titmuss was sitting in her kinesiology class at the Forum Building. It was cold outside, but the problem was, she was feeling a bit cold inside. In her heart and in her mind.
The long-time U.S. Women’s Youth National Team goalkeeper had entered Penn State during the previous spring semester after finishing high school early and, unlike many freshmen, had a major: Kinesiology with a focus on Movement Science.
But something was missing from her psyche. They say college is as much about finding one’s passions as it is about classroom learning. Part of that process is finding out what doesn’t excite you.
“The class was interesting, but I just kept thinking that this is not what I want to do with my life,” said Titmuss. “I wanted to do something that was more hands on, something more creative, something where I could express myself better.”
She had always been an artistic kid, drawing and painting, so at just 18 years old, she made what was probably the second biggest decision of her young life (after choosing Penn State early on in high school over a half dozen other college offers): she changed her major.
“Whenever I’m doing art, I have this sense of calm,” said Titmuss, who is now pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in the Art and Architecture Department, a major that also includes quite a bit of digital art, new media and graphics. “I have all my wits about me. I understand what is supposed to be going on in my head and in my life.”
