As your primary point of contact with the Office of Admissions, your Penn State Altoona admissions counselor can help you successfully navigate the application and admissions process and answer any questions that may arise. Find the admissions counselor for your school or geographic area—they are happy to share their experiences, take some of the stress out of the application process, and schedule a one-on-one virtual visit with you to answer all your questions.

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Cassandra Lewis

Your Admissions Counselor is
Cassandra Lewis

[email protected] | 814-949-5193

About Cassandra

  • Penn State Altoona, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

I've been working as an admissions counselor at Penn State Altoona for three years. I'm also a proud Penn State alumna who earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I spent all four years of my undergraduate education at Penn State Altoona and was able to get involved with multiple organizations on campus, including Ivyside Dance Ensemble, Leadership for Life, and Being United for Social Transformation (BUST). One of my favorite places on campus is the beautiful dance studio in the Misciagna Center for Performing Arts.

Growing up in central Pennsylvania, I often attended Penn State football games, supported Dance Marathon (THON), and performed in the Wolf Kuhn Theatre at Penn State Altoona. Nowadays, I get to share my experiences and love for Penn State with prospective students.

Schedule a virtual admission appointment with Cassandra.

Matt Gueguen

Your Admissions Counselor is
Matt Gueguen

[email protected] | 814-949-5466

About Matt

  • Slippery Rock University, Bachelor of Science in Sport Management
  • Mercyhurst University, Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership/Human Resource Concentration
  • Saint Francis University, Master's Degree in Education

I started working as an admissions counselor at Penn State Altoona in March 2020. The people at Penn State Altoona—faculty, staff, and our students—are great and it is a very close community.

I believe in the value of higher education and recruiting students is a passion of mine. I truly enjoy learning where students are from and why they have chosen to come to Penn State.

Prior to coming to Penn State Altoona, I was a college football coach and recruiting coordinator for both Saint Francis University, Mercyhurst University, and Coastal Carolina University. While I was a student at Slippery Rock University, I was on the football team. So, you could say athletics is a great passion of mine. I grew up in Hastings, PA, a wonderful small community about 40 minutes north of Penn State Altoona.

P.S. The ducks are always here to welcome you to campus.
P.P.S. I've never lost in a game of thumb war.

Schedule a virtual admission appointment with Matt.

Shari Routch

Your Admissions Counselor is
Shari R. Routch

Director of Enrollment Management
[email protected] | 814-949-5057

About Shari

  • Lehigh University, Bachelor of Arts in Government and Pre-Law, Philosophy minor
  • University of Virginia School of Law, Juris Doctor

I’ve worked at Penn State Altoona since 1997, first as Director of Strategic Communications and, since 2017, as Director of Enrollment Management. I started my career as an attorney but soon found out that just wasn’t for me. I am so fortunate to have found my home at Penn State Altoona.

I believe in the value of higher education to transform lives, better our world, and empower our students to succeed in their personal and professional goals.

I love working with students to help them find “the right fit” for them when searching for a college. Often it’s Penn State or Penn State Altoona, but when it isn’t, I am happy to help them figure out what is best for them. 

I am a proud mother of two daughters, one a Penn State grad and the other a collegiate soccer player. In addition to spending countless hours traveling to and watching soccer games, I love to bike (I am addicted to my Peloton), work out, read, cook, and binge watch Netflix. Some of my favorite shows are Breaking Bad, Grey’s Anatomy, Ozark, and Schitt’s Creek. I love pizza, sushi, and penguins.

Shari Routch

Your Admissions Counselor is
Shari R. Routch

Director of Enrollment Management
[email protected] | 814-949-5057

About Shari

  • Lehigh University, Bachelor of Arts in Government and Pre-Law, Philosophy minor
  • University of Virginia School of Law, Juris Doctor

I’ve worked at Penn State Altoona since 1997, first as Director of Strategic Communications and, since 2017, as Director of Enrollment Management. I started my career as an attorney but soon found out that just wasn’t for me. I am so fortunate to have found my home at Penn State Altoona.

I believe in the value of higher education to transform lives, better our world, and empower our students to succeed in their personal and professional goals.

I love working with students to help them find “the right fit” for them when searching for a college. Often it’s Penn State or Penn State Altoona, but when it isn’t, I am happy to help them figure out what is best for them. 

I am a proud mother of two daughters, one a Penn State grad and the other a collegiate soccer player. In addition to spending countless hours traveling to and watching soccer games, I love to bike (I am addicted to my Peloton), work out, read, cook, and binge watch Netflix. Some of my favorite shows are Breaking Bad, Grey’s Anatomy, Ozark, and Schitt’s Creek. I love pizza, sushi, and penguins.

Sheri Harper

Your Admissions Counselor is
Sheri Harper

Assistant Director of Admission
[email protected] | 814-949-5467

About Sheri

  • Shippensburg University, Bachelor of Arts in Communications

I have spent the past 17 years as part of the Penn State family through my role in undergraduate admissions with the last fifteen of those years at Penn State Altoona. I am originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and hold my B.A. in Communications from Shippensburg University. I now live in the local area with my husband and daughter. My favorite thing to do is to spend time with family and friends. I enjoy traveling and have been to 23 different states. And I love playing card games and board games and appreciate a good book.

One of the things I enjoy most about my job is the time I get to spend assisting students and families from the application process through the admission process and watching those students become Penn Staters!

I love the beauty of Penn State Altoona. From the pond and ducks to our beautiful landscaping whose colors change with the seasons, Penn State Altoona is a great place to spend much of my time each week.

Schedule a virtual admission appointment with Sheri.

Alli Bennett

Your Admissions Counselor is
Alli Bennett

Admissions Counselor
[email protected] | 814-949-5560

About Alli

  • Mount Aloysius College, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

While I am new to Penn State Altoona, as I just started my journey here at the end of November 2020, I am not new to the field of counseling high school students in the college search process. I worked as an admissions counselor for a number of years prior to joining the Penn State Altoona Admissions team.

I have a passion for working with students and their families to make sure the college search and transition is as easy as possible.

As an Admissions Counselor at Penn State Altoona, I will be working with many prospective students with a focus on New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, as well as helping to advise our student tour guide organizations.

While a college student, I had an active role in the vocal ensemble, theatre program, and honors program. In my free time now, I am a kettlebell instructor and love taking spin classes. I am a huge nerd that delights in anything Marvel, Star Wars, or musical theatre-related. I am a lover of books, music, movies, waffles, animals, and tv. My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice and my favorite TV show is The Office.

Schedule a virtual admission appointment with Alli.