MEET VALLEY’S FALL 2025 BEAUTY & HEALTH SECTION OPENER: DELANEY BEAL

For Delaney Beal, beauty isn’t about rushing toward what’s next. It is about living slowly, laughing loudly and finding meaning in every moment. 

There is something magnetic about a person who moves through life without rushing. Delaney, a senior landscape architecture major, radiates that kind of calm. It’s the kind that comes from knowing that joy and purpose are not found in checking off the next task but in taking a breath.

For Delaney, that lesson started at home. Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, her family often repeated a saying that still guides her today:

Life is long. Live well, laugh often, love much.

It was more than a quote painted on the kitchen wall. It became a way of living. 

“I have always been the kind of person who is rushing toward the next goal, my mom used to remind me that I have time. Slowing down is not falling behind.” 

That mantra stuck. Whether she is sketching designs for her next studio project, baking apple cider bread with her roommate or running four miles before rehearsal, Delaney finds beauty in rhythm. For her, balance means being present, not perfect.

Finding Balance in Motion

When Delaney landed the lead role in Penn State’s production of “Legally Blonde,” she did not realize how much the experience would reshape her life. Playing Elle Woods, a character who is bold, determined and unapologetically feminine, helped her understand the balance between ambition and authenticity.

That show changed everything for me. It challenged me to push myself but to also embrace who I am. Elle’s power comes from being herself and I learned that people like me better when I am just me.

Her days became a blur of rehearsals, classes and late-night study sessions. Between sprinting across campus, memorizing lines and designing studio layouts, her schedule could have been overwhelming. Yet, instead of burning out, she built a rhythm that worked for her. 

I would wake up early, go to class, work in between and then head straight to rehearsal. It was nonstop, but it was everything I loved. I would come home tired but happy.

The Beauty of Authenticity

For Delaney, beauty and health go hand-in-hand. They are not about perfection; they are about presence.

Beauty is embracing who you are. Everyone is beautiful in their own way, and when you take care of yourself within that, it makes you even more beautiful.

Her selfcare is simple and rooted in connection. Lighting candles, playing jazz, crafting with her roommate or sharing something homemade are all small ways she resets. Baking is a part of her unwinding routine and it’s the best part that it makes other people happy too. 

That same balance extends to her mental health. Delaney has learned that wellness is not about appearances. It is about honesty. 

It took me a long time to realize that I was exhausted because I was not being myself. Now, I just let people see me as I am. If I am grumpy, I say so. It is freeing.

Living with Intention

Delaney’s philosophy is simple. Fill your life with things that fill you back. Whether that means running, performing or designing, everything she does feeds her sense of self.

“If you are too busy to take care of yourself, then you are not busy with the right things. You can be busy all the time, but it should be with things that make you happy.”

Her idea of the perfect day is not glamorous. It is grounded. On quiet Saturday mornings, when most of campus heads to Beaver Stadium, Delaney and her roommates wake up slowly, make coffee, play music and go thrifting before ending the night with a homemade dinner. It’s simple, but it’s the best feeling for her. 

To her, living well is not about doing it all. It is about doing what matters: the things that make you laugh, create, rest and reconnect.

When life feels overwhelming, Delaney reminds herself of the same words that shaped her home: “Life is long. Live well, laugh often, love much.” And she means every part of it.

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