I am Penn State.

I am having a hard time grappling with the news of Penn State administrators' inactions regarding the allegations of child sexual abuse by the former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky. I've been rolling this around in my head and reading what others are posting on social media sites; things like the denouncement of their degrees or the erasure of the Penn State name from profiles. Are these public denouncements going to make a difference in the case?

Child abuse is reprehensible in any circumstance and the covering of child sexual abuse is deplorable. According to the grand jury documents, Sandusky used his position with The Second Mile to prey on and victimize underprivileged children and adolescents. McQueary's inaction to stop the actions of Sandusky in the shower is mind-numbing. How does one turn away from that without taking action? I understand that it is shocking; something you hope to never witness in your lifetime. How do you at least not gasp? Or yell? Or ask what the hell he is doing? How do you not say something to make it stop? Every detail is not outlined in the documents and many will be lost in memory, translation, and the retelling of events. I hope that McQueary at least murmured something....

I am a first generation college graduate. Specifically, I am a graduate of the College of Health and Human Development at The Pennsylvania State University (i.e., Penn State). I will not denounce my degree, nor will I be ashamed to be associated with Penn State in any way. The inactions of the administrators are inexcusable, but to say that I am embarrassed to be a Penn State alumna would be false. To say that I am embarrassed of the education I received would be to say that I am ashamed of those who taught me, including Drs. Maney, Mahoney, Olsen, Koch... The list goes on.

Further, to denounce Penn State or to be ashamed of the school is to be ashamed of all it stands for and the history it has created. Are you embarrassed by THON and the work the medical center has done to further cancer research for children? Are you embarrassed by the contributions that Penn State researchers have made in the field of agriculture? Or in human development? Or in engineering? Or in the arts and sciences?

I am mortified by the actions of Sandusky and the administrators, but I will not be ashamed of my education.

Penn State, Class of 1997.