Three students reflect on how PennGreen, one of six pre-orientation programs offered in partnership with the Office of Student Life and now in its 18th year, helped incoming students explore sustainability and connect with like-minded peers. PennGreen supports an important goal in Penn’s Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 4.0: Enrich the daily sustainability practices of Penn students, faculty, and staff through new and existing programs. Over the course of five days, these three students and their 2026 cohort peers explored local green spaces on- and off-campus and learned about academic and extracurricular pathways while also taking part in community-building activities and an overnight camping trip.  

New student Tony Duong, who came to Penn from New Iberia, Louisiana, joined fellow incoming student Brian Avila from Springfield, Massachusetts and fourth-year PennGreen mentor and leader Hamza Waseem to talk about the pre-orientation experience this year.

“PennGreen has become an important part of my college experience,” said Hamza, recalling his involvement over the last several years.

Q. Why did you choose to participate in PennGreen?

Tony: I wanted to explore the sustainability opportunities that Penn and Philly had, as well as moving in earlier.

Brian: I participated because I am passionate about the environment and wanted to meet like-minded people.

Hamza: It’s always nice to be involved in mentoring freshmen. I know how difficult it can be to navigate things on your own, and I wanted to help students with a transition. I also have always loved the outdoors and spending time outside, so all of those things contributed to me joining the program.

Q. What is a top takeaway from the experience? What did you gain?

Tony: A lot of the activities we did during the program were things I had never done before. Honestly, the experiences, friends, memories, skills, and connections that you gain from the program are the most valuable.

Brian: I am taking away knowledge of how to be openly yourself. I have gained a foothold into the culture here at Penn.

Hamza: The camping portion is really important. You get to grow close with your mentees, but you also get to explore together, cook, play Frisbee, and spend a long period of time together. For me, it’s an opportunity to meet more of the students I didn’t talk to early in the pre-orientation. That extended time together really helps form the bonds that come out of the program.

Q. Is there anything you are particularly excited to get involved with on campus as a result of the program?

Tony: I'm particularly excited to get involved in the many research and internship opportunities that align with sustainability.

Brian: I am excited to know about all the green opportunities that are available to me. I am especially excited to volunteer at the Penn Farm.

Q: Have you seen PennGreen lead students to other opportunities or involvement at Penn?

Hamza: I’ve seen students get really involved in research and publish papers on renewable energy. One of the past participants mentioned that one of the PennGreen mentors became his PI or helped him enroll in a climate program. I also saw another past participant posting about her work. I think she writes for The DP and she still writes about climate from time to time. She’s also still majoring in climate science, which is great.

Q. Would you recommend PennGreen to an incoming student?

Tony: I would wholeheartedly recommend the program to a student because of the memories, friends, and experiences you make from this unforgettable program.

Brian: I would recommend PennGreen to an incoming student because it has a little bit of everything you could want out of a pre-orientation program.

Hamza: I think it depends on the student. But if you’re someone who might find college—and having to approach people on your own—a little daunting at first, PennGreen is a great way to have a pre-made group of friends. It’s a smaller group and the leaders play a role in helping those connections happen. And maybe the close connections might not always last, but they might help you meet other people who do become your best friends for your four years at Penn.