Name: Robert Kerner

Major: Biobehavioral Health

Previous THON Experience:

THON 2022: Rules and Regulations committee member
THON 2023: OPPerations committee member
THON 2024: Supply Logistics captain

What made you want to apply for a director position for THON 2025?

My three prior years as a THON volunteer have been the most rewarding aspect of my experience as a Penn State student. The more I learned about THON through my years at Penn State, the more I began to fully grasp the gravity of this organization’s impact. After the conclusion of THON 2024 and the end of my tenure as a captain, I felt compelled to dedicate even more of my time and energy to this organization and this mission.

What are your responsibilities as a THON Director?

As the Special Events director, I oversee the planning, logistics, and execution of a multitude of THON events that occur before, during, and after THON Weekend. Some of these include the THON 5K powered by PNC, the 100 Days ‘Til THON Celebration, Family Carnival, THON athletic events, THON Showcase, No Hair Don’t Care, Pep Rally, the Closer to a Cure Celebration, and more.

Additionally, I oversee 19 special events captains who take the creative lead on planning these events. I work closely with them and the entire THON community to build upon last year’s events by considering feedback from previous years, addressing logistical barriers early, maximizing the resources at our disposal, and ensuring that all stakeholder groups are being heard.

What do you want to implement in your position this year that differs from years past?

Over the years, we have created several major events before, during, and after THON Weekend. As the special events director, one of my main roles is to work across the THON community to continually enhance our events to further our mission. This year, one of my biggest passions was finding even more ways we could use our audience at each event to highlight our THON families. We were able to include even more THON family speakers, highlights, and special opportunities at all of our events.

Another area of growth we focused on this year was event accessibility. We took a much more strategic approach to our event accessibility this year, with continuous early outreach to families, spectators, and volunteers to learn how we could better accommodate accessibility needs. Through surveys and outreach, we were able to learn about the specific ways in which each event could become more accessible to all individuals and implemented this feedback to help ensure that no one feels like any accessibility needs would serve as a barrier to participating in a THON event.

What makes your committee so cool, fun, and/or important?

The love and support of the THON community exist well beyond one singular weekend in February. The Special Events committee helps organize several large-scale events that keep the magic and excitement of THON alive all year long for our Four Diamonds families, organizations, volunteers, and the entire THON community.

What are the overall goals you hope to reach with your committee for THON 2025?

The events that my committee oversees hold a great deal of potential to continually grow our cause in so many ways. Going into the year, I hoped that we could continue to build upon the work of years of THON volunteers and special events committees before us, finding countless ways to enhance our events. I wanted to take a very critical look at every tiny detail of our events to learn how we could use them to highlight our THON families, engage our spectators, increase our outreach, and improve our fundraising efforts. By working across the THON community and incorporating the feedback of many stakeholder groups, we were able to do just that.

Why do you THON?

My passion for THON has continued to grow every single day since my first day as a volunteer in the fall of 2021. I am constantly finding more and more reasons to THON. Every time we read a family story in a meeting or get the chance to interact with a THON family at an event, I am amazed at how incredible of an impact a group of students is making.

THON doesn’t just happen — it is a labor of love from thousands and thousands of students who are committed to making a difference. Every chance we get to make the lives of a family battling childhood cancer a little brighter is worth every ounce of effort. I THON so that, one day, no family will ever have to face the evil of childhood cancer again.

What’s your favorite THON memory?

This year’s THON 5K was a truly magical day for the THON community. The love and support of THON exists all year long, and seeing nearly 5,000 individuals all gather together in October for our cause was so beautiful. I will never forget watching our THON children run alongside the Nittany Lion in the kids’ race as the whole crowd cheered them on. The joy that our community experienced that day was unforgettable, and I will carry that moment with me forever!

Per Onward State tradition, if you could be any dinosaur, which one would you be and why?

Ankylosaurus – they just look so awesome.