A Philly-area native and jack-of-all-trades, Chris has left a lasting impact on the Penn State community over his four years here.
Chris came to Penn State because not only would it provide him with a great engineering education, and it was also away from home — but not too far. Majoring in chemical engineering, Chris does it all. From fashion to philanthropy to SoundCloud rapping, Chris has a very diverse background of interests.
Cystic Fibrosis Club Founder
Chris has had an interest in Cystic Fibrosis ever since his close friend’s younger sister was diagnosed with it. When he came to Penn State, that close friend did as well. Together, they founded the Cystic Fibrosis club during their sophomore year. He describes the disease as “a genetic disease [that] causes a lot of mucus in the lungs, trouble digesting food and lots of lung infections.” Through the club, they’ve been able to fundraise for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and raise awareness about the disease.
Fashion Legend
Chris’s fascination with fashion started in high school, in various thrift and discount stores. His favorite pieces that he’s made himself include “sworduroys”, aka half-sweatpant and half-corduroy shorts (pictured above), as well as his very own blue and white, tie-dyed “rompHIM,” which he made by sewing together a sweatshirt and sweatpants and cutting them off at the knees and elbows. He draws Taking inspiration from improving upon and altering designs he sees both in high fashion and everyday life—his designs are a hit at tailgates and football games.
SoundCloud Career
As a fun side project, Chris and a close high school friend decided to start releasing songs on SoundCloud. Since then, it has become his go-to hobby when he’s bored. His personal favorite tracks that he’s released include an R. Kelly diss track (“cause he’s kind of a terrible person”) and a song called “Bounce U,” which involved a roast session between him and his close friend.
Chris on “Standing Out”
When it comes to creating things that are unique to you, Chris is a strong believer in individuality and tapping into your own creativity.
“It’s a big issue with our society and our generation that everybody wants to just fit in and be the same,” Buccellato says. “I think everybody has a thing that interests them creatively. I think would be very awesome if everybody was just more creative and more interested in exploring their interests rather than just trying to look cool for other people.”
He points out that with the internet and social media, it’s hard to have a completely independent creative thought since the world has become so saturated. He thinks the world needs people that are trying to “do that thing that’s a little different.”
