Sade Taylor knows what it feels like to walk into a space and wonder if she truly belongs. That’s why she’s made it her mission to help other students feel seen right away.

A PennWest Edinboro sophomore from Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, Sade is majoring in early childhood and elementary education with a communication sciences and disorders minor. But ask her what drives her, and she’ll start with people.

“I love hearing everyone’s story because we all come from somewhere,” she said.

Growing up in a big family as the older sister, being outgoing came naturally. Creating community became a choice. In high school, she took initiative when she noticed students needed a place to connect.

“I went to a predominantly white high school, and I just wanted there to be a space for just everybody,” she explains. “So, I started Black Student Union at my high school.”

At PennWest, that same purpose found a home in PennWest CORE, the Office of Community, Opportunity, Responsibility and Engagement. The first time Sade connected with the CORE office, she felt the direction of her PennWest journey sharpen.

“This is where I’m meant to be,” she said. “I love making it feel like we’re all one big family.”

For her, CORE is where students can walk in feeling unsure, and walk out feeling connected. It is a place to build community, create welcoming events, and open doors for students who need a safe space and a steady support system.

One of her favorite ways to build that environment is through Building Bridges sessions.

“Personally, those are my favorite because it opens everybody up,” she said of the group that helps students connect, share perspectives, and start conversations they wouldn’t normally have. That openness matters because, as Sade sees it, belonging isn’t a slogan – it’s a feeling you carry with you when you leave a room.

Her advice to incoming students is both simple and powerful: “Be who you are. Bring that to the table because everyone’s going to love you.”

Then take the next step and lean into what PennWest is built to offer: Community, Opportunity, Responsibility and Engagement. Get involved, meet people, and let PennWest become your community, because you don’t have to figure it out alone.