Four of Penn State’s online learners will participate in THON™, the University’s student-run dance marathon that raises money for childhood cancer research, from February 21 to 23.
This is the third-straight year that Penn State World Campus will have its students participating in the event alongside hundreds of their fellow Penn State students.
Robert Billings, Christopher Donahue, and Angela Gulotta are undergraduate students and will participate as dancers for the first time. Maggie Webb is a master’s degree student who was a THON dancer during her senior year last year as a University Park student.
Each year, Penn State students raise money for children and families impacted by childhood cancer, and the donations go to the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital. The students’ philanthropic efforts culminate in THON, when the student dancers must be on their feet for 46 hours straight while being cheered on by their peers and other supporters in the stands at the Bryce Jordan Center.
“I am excited to experience THON as a dancer and to share that moment with hundreds of people,” said Gulotta, an accounting major who is serving as the executive chair of World Campus Benefitting THON, the organization for World Campus that raises money for the event. “I want to dance to bring attention to childhood cancer and the pain and suffering these children and their families endure.”
The students’ participation as dancers is possible because of the organization’s fundraising. Last year, the organization raised more than $17,000 to secure spots for dancers this year.
Donahue will make the trip to State College, Pennsylvania, from his home in Fairbanks, Alaska. Donahue, a psychology major, said he was inspired to participate in THON when he read the story of World Campus student and cancer survivor Brayden Fleagle.
Fleagle was diagnosed with cancer when he was 16, and he and his family were beneficiaries of the Four Diamonds Fund, which helps families of pediatric cancer patients with expenses that are not covered by insurance. Fleagle attended THON in 2024 for the first time as a Penn State student.
“The world is a pretty big place, and you’re pretty small in it — you have to figure out how you’re going to make an impact in it,” Donahue said. “THON is one of the key features that makes Penn State who and what Penn State is. I believe in what we’re doing.”
Webb was a dancer in THON in 2024 when she was an undergraduate at the University Park campus. Now a graduate student in the human resources and employment relations master’s degree program, Webb is excited to participate again.
“I’m super connected to the cause, and it’s such a rewarding experience to be able to do again,” said Webb, who is from Lewistown, Pennsylvania. “This will be my last event as a student at Penn State. To represent World Campus will be the perfect end to my story as a Penn State student.”
Like Webb, Billings previously was involved in THON with an organization when he was a University Park student. Now a World Campus student who is majoring in software engineering, Billings wanted to continue participating in THON.
“I got involved and I never stopped,” Billings said. “It’s a dream come true to be able to represent these families and the hardship they go through and support them at the same time.”
Penn State World Campus Student Affairs provides support and guidance to the THON group and more than 20 other student clubs and organizations.
“Getting involved in THON is a quintessential Penn State experience for many students, and we are thrilled for Robert, Christopher, Angela, and Maggie to have this opportunity,” said Julie Fitzgerald, assistant director for student engagement in World Campus Student Affairs and the adviser to the THON organization. “The students in the organization have worked very hard to make sure Penn State World Campus once again is represented among the student body of the University. We are proud to see how successful they have been.”
A Penn State education online
Penn State World Campus has been offering a Penn State education online for more than 25 years, with a comprehensive portfolio of more than 200 degree and certificate programs now available.
Students who attend Penn State through World Campus have access to a variety of activities that can help them get involved in the Penn State and World Campus communities. Students can participate in virtual clubs and events, and they can also attend major Penn State events — such as THON, Homecoming, and graduation — in person.
Learn more about ways students can get involved as online learners through Penn State World Campus.