Creating A Sense Of Pride At Penn State Football

Personal/Professional Interest in Research Topic

I grew up in a household where Penn State football was lived, breathed, and believed. Ironically, I married a Penn State football lettermen and we are season-ticket holders who rarely miss a home football game. As we enter the campus on football Saturday, I am constantly in awe of the pride and connection all students have of their university. When I became principal at Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, I wanted to create a sense of pride in our school similar to that of Penn State University. I want students to walk into our building every day and feel a connection to their school. Football games, school plays, and art exhibits displayed on first Friday events should beam with Cedar Crest falcon pride. Students, no matter their background or passion, should consider themselves a Falcon. For my research topic, I want to study and determine if there is a correlation between a student’s connection and pride in their school and their academic success. Over the past 18 years, I have discovered the only students who feel connected to the school are primarily athletes. Non-athletic students do not wear school colors to school events and do not have a high sense of pride or connectedness to the school.

Parents want to instill a sense of independence and desire to teach the child independence and early life lessons. Students often experiment seeking to find their own identity and self. Unfortunately, this experiment leads some children down paths of loneliness, isolation, and failure. At the same time, students are cast into the new school environment of high school, where further isolation can occur. It is essential for all students to have a supportive and positive connection with their school as it would help stop irresponsible behaviors (Freidenfelt Liljeberg et al.,