Karly Penton
Class Level
Junior
Degree Objective
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Major/Department
Nursing
Hometown
Hilmar, CA
Biography
Hello! My name is Karly Penton formally known as Karly Van Foeken. In June, I recently got married to my husband Aaron and we now live in Turlock. I was born in Turlock and raised on a dairy in the small town of Hilmar. I graduated from Hilmar High School in 2006. In high school, I was very busy playing soccer, basketball and volleyball and earned a volleyball scholarship to play here at CSU Stanislaus my senior year. Volleyball has enabled me to meet a lot of really great people on campus, and I have loved every minute of it. GO WARRIORS!!
Why did you choose CSU Stanislaus?
I am very close to my family, and I knew that I wanted to stay close to them. CSU Stanislaus is a beautiful campus with a great nursing program and the opportunity to play Division II college volleyball was one that I could not overlook. I have had a great experience here so far, and I am very happy with my decision to stay close to home and attend CSU Stanislaus.
What advice would you give a prospective student?
Your college decision is a major step in your future and it should not be taken lightly. Make sure that it is your decision, not one of a family member or friend.
What has been your favorite academic or student life experience so far?
Given the opportunity to play division II college volleyball has been my favorite student life experience so far. I’ll never forget our last game of my freshman year when we beat CSULA by 3. It was senior night and all odds were against us, but we came back and beat them.
What is your career objective?
I’ve wanted to be a nurse as far back as I can remember. I love helping people and I hope to make a difference in people’s lives everyday which I believe nursing will give me the opportunity to do. In the future I would love to work as an OB nurse or in the fast pace emergency room.
What clubs, sports, and activities have you participated in?
I have been involved a little bit with the FCA (Fellowship of Christian athletes) on campus. FCA is a great club to get involved in. The club meets about once a week and plays games, shares testimonies, and do a Bible study. Athletics has also given me countless opportunities to meet a lot of different people and travel to many places. Last summer our team got to compete in Hawaii, and we had a lot of fun.
Who is your most influential personal and/or University mentor?
Coach Pete Duyst has been a huge influence on me here at CSU Stanislaus as well as my senior year of high school as I was being recruited. Starting in high school, Pete and I would e-mail regularly back and forth talking about everything from what CSUS was like to different questions about my high school sports career and started a friendship. He would send me e-mails of encouragement and motivated me to become a better person and how to become a stronger Christian as a player and a person. Pete is one of our volleyball assistant coaches but, to me, he is a lot more than that, he is also a mentor. He is one of those people in your life that push you to see how much you can give but will also be there for you when you fall.
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