At Penn, we are often pushed toward singularity: to choose one path, build a resume around it, and turn ourselves into a coherent story. We’re rewarded for specialization, certainty, and knowing exactly how to package ourselves into a one–minute pitch or a five–year plan.
This year’s Penn 10 features seniors who have resisted that pressure. Their college careers were defined by duality, rather than singularity—by the art of doing two very different things at once. They are athletes and artists, scientists and storytellers, performers and researchers. Their days on campus moved between spaces that rarely seem to link together. But they did it anyway—and they don’t plan to stop any time soon.
These seniors have spent their time at Penn building lives that are full of contradiction and multiplicity, embracing every opportunity life throws at them. At a school that often pushes students to define themselves quickly, they remind us that having more than one passion doesn’t mean you lack direction. Instead, it makes your life far more expansive—and, frankly, more interesting.
