For Kaly Schwartz, “kill ’em with kindness” is more than just a pop culture phrase or saying. This sophomore kinesiology major has made kindness a part of her personality and lifestyle. To those around her, she constantly radiates positivity through all that she does.
“I think the world needs more happiness,” says Schwartz.
Schwartz’s positive outlook on life and generous heart have led her to discovering her main passion: helping others. She got involved in her high school’s mini-THON where she was a captain for two years, and she continued to support the cause once she came to Penn State. She is currently on a Dancer Relations committee for the second year in a row, dedicating another full year to helping the kids.
“THON has and always will have a special place in my heart and will always be known as the best weekend of the year,” says Schwartz.
For Schwartz, volunteering and helping children is more than just an opportunity to raise money for a good cause alongside other Penn State students. As an aspiring pediatric physical therapist, her experiences have given her a glimpse of what she wants to pursue as a future career. She has hopes and dreams of working at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and helping any and all children she can. Her experience as a THON volunteer has already helped her journey to reaching this goal by providing opportunities for her to give back to something important to her.
“Hopefully my impact on children, who are our future, will end with plenty of smiles,” says Schwartz.
Her work with children through THON and other volunteer efforts has created a lasting impact on Schwartz and her outlook on life. She now aspires to live life like a child by being as happy as possible while going about her day to day life. She is a firm believer in taking time to do things that make her happy, whether it’s something related to a club she is in, or even just spending quality time with her friends and family.
“To many, I am that one familiar smiling face every day,” says Schwartz.
Outside of THON, she is involved in dance through Volé. This past fall, she performed in multiple dances in the organization’s fall showcase. While Schwartz is performing, she is always energetic and giving it her all. If anyone watched her dance, they would see how happy she is to be on stage.
In addition to her dance involvement, she is a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority, Kinesiology Club and Penn State Aquatic Staff. In everything she does, she strives to be a caring and compassionate friend to all. Because of her wide range of involvement and outgoing personality, she considers herself to be very relatable to many different kinds of people. Whether she’s with a total stranger or a close friend, Schwartz treats everyone around her with nothing but kindness. Her smile and positive outlook on life is very contagious.
Whether it’s a THON event, a dancer performance or even just a small get-together with friends, Kaly Schwartz is a constant source of positive energy in a world that can sometimes seem overly negative. Her goal is to help others become self-aware and find things that they are passionate and make them happy.
“I may be small, but the impact I hope to leave is huge,” says Schwartz.
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