MEDIA, Pa. — Abigail Brooke joined Penn State Brandywine as a career development specialist for the Office of Advising and Career Services in June. Coming from Eastern University as the assistant director of the Center for Career Development, Brooke said she is looking forward to reestablishing the career services department.

“I am excited to have Abigail as our career development specialist to provide students with in-person internship and job search preparation and classroom presentations to reach a larger number of students as they are planning to seek an internship or plan for employment after graduation,” said Amy Yarlett, advising specialist. “I'm looking forward to Abigail's visibility on campus with her creativity and enthusiasm to connect with students in new ways to market what value career services can add to their education at Penn State Brandywine.”

Brooke began working in higher education in 2021 after graduating from Eastern University in 2020. Working at her alma mater, she helped students and alumni search for jobs and determine career interests. After being there for nearly five years, Brooke said, she decided to come to Brandywine because of the close-knit campus feel while also accessing the resources of a large university.

“My last institution was very small and tight-knit. It was my alma mater, so that’s all I’ve known. When searching for a new job, I was looking for a similar community,” Brooke said. “What I like about Penn State Brandywine is I get to be a part of a larger university where you have more access to people and resources, but you still get that close feel with people you work with and the students.”

In terms of her goals, Brooke said she wants to give students the tools they need to succeed in finding a job or internship.

“I want to make sure that students, whether they’re graduating or are in their first year, feel confident about their future and know the right steps to take to get a job or internship. No one knows what their whole career is going to look like, but I want them to know what steps they need to take in order to get where they want to be,” Brooke said. “That will come through one-on-one appointments, programming, collaboration with other departments and more. I want to make sure that even with all the uncertainty in the world, students feel capable and confident.”