Overview:

Penn State Field Hockey Associate Head Coach Laura Gebhart ’15 Agr visits the Following the Gong studio to discuss all things field hockey, coaching, and community & economic development. Laura grew up in Lancaster County and came to Penn State and the Schreyer Honors College as a Scholar Athlete. She shares how she worked to find the right major for her, got involved in THON, and won a Big Ten Title in Field Hockey. Laura gives her advice for Scholars and student athletes on navigating perfection and demanding schedules, and provides insight on life after athletics, which looks different for everyone. She also pulls back the curtain on coaching an Olympic sport and talks about NIl and gender equity in sports. This is a must watch/listen for any Scholar – especially those unsure of what comes after College, is heavily involved on campus, dealing with rejections (like hers from the US national team,) and those who are interested in coaching or community & economic development careers. It’s also great for any student athlete, whether a Scholar or not. Laura’s full bio and chapter markers detailing the topics discussed are below.

Guest Bio:

Laura Gebhart ’15 Agricultural Sciences is the Associate Head Field Hockey Coach at Penn State, where she engages in all areas of the program – from player development and on-field coaching, to recruiting and operations. Before coming back to Penn State, Laura coached at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island – first as the assistant coach, and then as the head coach. Prior to that, Gebhart led a career in economic development, working with two separate non-profits: EDC of Lancaster County (Lancaster, PA) and the Montpelier Development Corporation (Montpelier, VT). Along the way, Gebhart trained with the U.S. Women's National Team, coached a high school program, and volunteer coached at the University of Vermont.

Gebhart earned a B.S. in Community, Environment, and Development (Community & Economic Development Option) with Honors from Penn State in 2015. Gebhart is also happy to speak further about ice cream, birding, and crocheting. Please feel free to connect with them at @coach_gebhart on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Episode Topic & Chapters

00:04 Introductions and how Laura discovered field hockey

02:38 Pursuing playing D1 college sports

03:44 Collegiate sports recruitment

05:36 Selecting the CED major in Ag Sciences from being undecided

07:18 Planning for life beyond being a Scholar Athlete

08:33 Balancing life as a Scholar and as an Athlete

09:27 Roles of different advisors

10:20 Additional campus opportunities

12:01 THON as an athlete

15:31 Reflecting on athletic accomplishments

16:53 The Honors Thesis

18:37 Transitioning to life as an alum

22:59 Overcoming setbacks

24:08 Full time roles in economic development

25:58 Getting into coaching

28:42 Volunteer coaching

31:52 Taking a step back to take two forward by returning to Penn State

34:25 The roles of the coaching staff

37:19 Year in the life of a Division I coach

40:42 Day-in-the-life of a coach in-season

42:33 Challenges of coaching and supporting high-achieving students

46:01 The impact of NIL on athletics

53:07 Jump here for post NIL discussion to the Olympics

55:25 Coaching against former teammates - personal vs professional in the workplace

57:32 Fundraising and facilities

59:55 Things not asked

01:04:02 Biggest successes and failures

01:09:27 Laura's thoughts on mentorship

01:11:12 Shoutouts

Overview:

Architectural engineer turned consultant turned technology solutions engineer Brad Zanette joins the show from New York City to share his perspectives and advice for current Scholars and young alumni. Brad came to Penn State and made the most of his opportunities during his five years at University Park, earning his bachelors and masters in architectural engineering while completing several internships, including work on the earlier stages of the East Halls renovation project. One of those internships led to a full-time role at Deloitte and subsequent work at Oracle. While certainly useful for engineering Scholars, this episode is great for any Scholars who have multiple interests and want to hear unique strategies for setting themselves apart in the job search. Brad’s bio is available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed.

Guest Bio:

Brad Zanette ’18 Engineering is a lead principal solution engineer at Oracle in New York, New York (remote/occasional travel) where he helps business within the Architecture, Engineering, & Construction ("AEC") industry undergo large scale digital business transformations. Before joining Oracle in 2021, he previously worked in consulting with Deloitte and construction management with several general contractors and a subcontractor. He earned both a bachelors and masters of architectural engineering with honors from Penn State’s College of Engineering in 2018. He's happy to discuss growing up in northeast PA, working construction, studying in China, and living in New York. Please feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn.

Episode Topic & Chapters:

00:05 Introductions and how Brad came to Penn State

01:11 Choosing and defining architectural engineering

05:17 Deloitte Leadership Development Center

06:38 Other leadership opportunities

08:41 Carefully selecting the best fitting study abroad program

11:55 The Honors Thesis

16:18 Early career and internship success

20:29 East Halls renovation project

23:05 AEC - the construction acronym at work

27:22 Consulting

34:38 Deciding to leave consulting

36:22 Construction tech

39:40 Transitioning from on-site to desk work

42:08 Continuing education and lifelong learning

44:21 Outside community and industry involvement

46:35 Resume and LinkedIn tips

50:53 Questions that should have been asked

54:17 Biggest successes and failures

57:42 Thoughts on mentorship

01:01:48 Shoutouts

01:03:31 Brad's final piece of advice

01:04:50 How to connect with Brad

01:05:05 Which Creamery Ice Cream flavor Brad would be and why + wrap up

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LinkedIn

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Upcoming Events

Scholars – Need Assistance? Book an Appointment!

Alumni – Learn Why and How to Volunteer

Make a Gift to Benefit Schreyer Scholars

Join the Penn State Alumni Association

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Credits & Notes:

This show is hosted, produced,...

Overview:

Industrial engineer Apoorva Mathur ’18 joins FTG from Oregon to discuss her career at the intersection of manufacturing and the transition to zero emissions vehicles. She shares how she came to Penn State, and leveraged internships in a variety of fields and clubs on campus to find her academic and career interests. Apoorva details her participation in a career rotation program at Daimler and approaches her work – from Germany to Detroit to Portland – in transitioning primarily commercial and industrial vehicles to alternative forms of zero emissions power train systems. She leads efforts in this space while also championing sustainability and women in STEM at her company and earning her masters in data analytics from Georgia Tech. This episode is great for any Scholar, and especially those figuring out what major they want to pursue and also those interested in manufacturing, automative, or sustainability programs. Apoorva’s bio is available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed.

Guest Bio:

Apoorva Mathur ’18 Engineering is the ESG Program Manager at Daimler Truck North America in Portland, OR where she manages the company's ESG initiatives and communication. Before joining DTNA in 2018, she previously interned at General Motors and Boeing where they grew their passion for the manufacturing industry. She earned a BS in Industrial Engineering with Honors from Penn State’s College of Engineering in 2018. She also earned a Masters in Data Analytics from Georgia Tech. She is also happy to speak further about emerging technologies in the automotive field and living and working globally. Please feel free to connect with her on Linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/in/apoorvamathur1/

Episode Topic & Chapters:

00:05 Introductions and why Apoorva chose Penn State

02:16 Internships galore as a Scholar

08:31 Finding your academic and career passions

12:14 Research opportunities

17:11 Campus opportunities to pursue other passions - like dance programs and SHO Time!

19:53 Why the automotive sector most resonated with Apoorva

22:18 Career entry programs like Daimler's CAReer program

27:46 Breaking down the terminology

31:09 Graduating out of the training programs

33:23 Connecting with diverse and long-tenured employees as a new employee

36:06 Transitioning to EVs, from the vehicles to the assembly

44:49 EV mythbusting

48:26 Skills for working in the EV space

52:57 Advice for Scholars whose careers will take them far beyond home

56:10 Apoorva's thoughts on mentorship

59:42 Continuing education as an alum and working professional

01:06:04 Seeking balance as a young professional

01:10:23 Unasked questions

01:13:57 Advice for women in STEM

01:22:28 Shoutouts

01:24:34 Apoorva's final piece of advice

01:27:30 Which Creamery flavor Apoorva would be and why

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Schreyer Honors College Links:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

Upcoming Events

Scholars – Need Assistance? Book an Appointment!

Alumni – Learn Why and How to Volunteer

Make a Gift to B...

Overview:

Scholar Alumna and seasoned supply chain management executive Kristyn Harkins ’02 Bus joins FTG to discuss her career. Kristyn shares how her time at Penn State, from classes to clubs to her Honors Thesis, influenced her career and helped her rise through the ranks as a woman in supply chain at Johnson & Johnson. Kristyn now leads teams of thousands with responsibility for J&J’s entire supply chain in their North American med tech operations. This episode is great for any Scholar to enjoy, and especially those in business or STEM disciplines. Kristyn’s bio is available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed.

Guest Bio:

Kristyn Harkins ’02 Bus is currently the Vice President, MedTech Deliver Americas at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), leading an organization that is responsible for operations that include Distribution, Transportation, Last Mile Logistics, Customer Services & Capabilities, and several Business Excellence functions. Her team drives the Customer Experience, ensuring that Commercial go-to-market strategies & MedTech franchise requirements can be flawlessly executed. Across her more than 20 year at J&J, Kristyn has worked across the Supply Chain pillars of Plan, Source, Make & Deliver and in multiple business sectors, including Consumer Products and MedTech. She has held leadership roles in Customer Logistics, Transportation, Analytics, Planning, Sourcing, External Manufacturing, Strategy Deployment & Supply Chain Customer Solutions.

Kristyn holds a BS with Honors in Business Logistics (now Supply Chain Management) from the Penn State College of Business and a University and an MBA from Rutgers University. She is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and was recognized in 2019 with a TWIN (Tribute to Women in Industry) Award. Throughout her career, Kristyn has fostered a passion for developing future talent and increasing representation of women in the Supply Chain field. She served as the liaison for J&J with the Penn State Center for Supply Chain Research for three years, and she is currently on the Advisory Board for the University of Tennessee Global Supply Chain Institute. Kristyn also serves as the Youth Pillar Sponsor for the J&J WiSTEM2D initiative. Kristyn lives in Flemington, NJ with her husband Tim, two sons (Aidan & Ryan), and dog (Miles). She is an avid Peloton rider and spends much of her free time cheering from the sidelines for her kids’ sporting events.

Episode Topics & Chapters:

00:05 Introduction and why Kristyn chose Penn State

01:36 Selecting supply chain as a major

03:06 Current state of supply chain jobs for grads

04:13 Using teaching experience in the workplace

06:11 The value of being involved on campus

08:13 Planning events is like small business ownership

10:52 THON

12:51 The Honors Thesis!

15:29 Co-ops and first jobs after college

17:27 Advice for current Scholars and new grads

20:24 Entry-level supply chain roles

23:18 Continuing curiosity and education while working full time

26:22 Moving up while staying at one firm

29:44 Transitioning from leading one team to the next

32:10 Building relationships with outside partners, vendors, etc.

35:25 Rising to overseeing continental level division

37:45 Kristyn explains her job title and responsibilities

39:42 Addressing "last mile" challenges

42:19 Thinking like an executive

44:53 Navigating the pandemic

48:15 Dealing with sales and divestitures

50:47 Balancing work and family

57:50 Getting involved in your industry

00:17 One company careers

01:03:34 ...

Overview:

Engineer Consultant Manufacturer Entrepreneur Reed Taylor ’14 Engineering joins Following the Gong from Connecticut to discuss his career story of pivoting from one role to the next, all while using his skills and experiences from being a Schreyer Scholar in Chemical Engineering. Learn how Reed went from making lifelong friends at SHO Time, participated in THON, and hit the slopes with the Penn State Ski Club before embarking on the first stages of a career in pharma, consulting, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship, with a stop at Harvard Business School mixed in. Reed shares great advice for any Scholar, but especially those with an itch to constantly learn and lead new things regardless of major. Reed’s bio is available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed.

Guest Bio:

Reed Taylor ’14 is the Senior Vice President, M&A, Transformation and Strategy at Summit Wash Holdings in Norwalk, CT where he sources, researches, negotiates, and closes acquisitions of new car wash locations. He joined Summit when they acquired Soapy's Car Wash, which Reed owned with his investment partners at Saddler Capital. He also served at Vice President of Manufacturing at Spot & Tango, a human-grade pet food company, while running Soapy's Car Wash. Prior to that, he worked as Project Leader at Boston Consulting Group and Process Development Engineer at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Reed earned a BS in Chemical Engineering with Honors from Penn State’s College of Engineering in 2014. He also earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. He is happy to speak more about mergers & acquisitions, entrepreneurship through acquisition, finance, consulting, or biotech. Please feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn.

Episode Topic & Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:44 Coming to Schreyer from a STEM high school in VA

01:37 Experiences at SHO Time

03:10 Deciding on an engineering discipline

05:47 Penn State THON

09:00 Using club experience in your career

10:37 Penn State Ski Club

12:55 The Honors Thesis!

19:32 Job searching as an Engineering student

22:03 Insights on entry level engineering roles

26:52 Deciding to go for an MBA

30:20 Advice for b-school for non-business majors

33:43 Consulting

38:10 Pivoting to manufacturing

46:12 Reed's career in car wash ownership

51:18 Lifelong learning

55:13 External trends in the car wash sector

01:00:58 Work life balance

01:03:22 Unasked questions

01:05:52 Biggest successes and failures

01:08:26 Thoughts on mentorship

01:09:44 Shoutouts

01:10:51 Reed's final piece of advice

01:11:51 How to connect with Reed

01:12:03 Which Creamery flavor Reed would be and why / Wrap up

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Schreyer Honors College Links:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

Upcoming Events

Scholars – Need Assistance? Book an Appointment!

Alumni – Learn Why and How to Volunteer

Make a Gift to Benefit Schreyer Scholar...

Overview:

FTG goes to the animals as Jessica Greensmith ’13 Agricultural Sciences joins to talk all things zoos, conservations centers, and more! Jessica earned her BS in Animal Science with Honors in Wildlife and Fisheries with the original intention of becoming a veterinarian. Study abroad and research opportunities led her to find her path elsewhere – including ballroom dancing along the way – to working as a professional heritage interpreter at a variety of zoos and centers across the US, including Disney’s Animal Kingdom and New England. Jessica shares incredible perspectives on finding your career fit, overcoming failures and setbacks, research, and the role of volunteers in organizations like zoos. She also explains the role of zoos in the 21st century, working in a niche industry, completing fellowships and internships after college, and the power of maintaining relationships from Penn State and beyond. This episode is great for any Scholar, and especially those re-thinking what they wanted to be in their career, dancers, animal lovers, and those pursuing careers related to animals, non-profits and community organizations, or in smaller industries. Jessica’s bio is available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed.

Guest Bio:

Jessica Greensmith ’13 Agr is a professional heritage interpreter in Boston, MA. Over the last 10 years, she has worked for Zoos, Forest Preserve Districts and conservation organizations creatively facilitating connections between people and conservation in order to deepen understanding and encourage action on behalf of wildlife and natural places. Most recently, she was Interpretation Manager at Zoo New England in Boston, MA. She earned a BS in Animal Science with Honors in Wildlife and Fisheries from Penn State in 2013. She would love to speak further with anyone interested in Conservation Psychology, Heritage Interpretation, Environmental Education or careers in Zoos, Aquariums and Museums! Connect with Jessica at jlgreensmith2@gmail.com.

Episode Topic & Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:33 Defining professional interpretation

02:12 Deciding on Penn State and Schreyer

03:45 The PA Farm Show

05:02 Undergrad research to save the bees and studying abroad as an Ag major

09:34 Shifting off the pre-veterinarian path

11:11 Dealing with rejections from graduate programs

12:33 Finding balance outside the classroom with ballroom dance

15:02 The Honors Thesis!

21:31 Working at Disney's Animal Kingdom

25:20 Finding a next step after a professional internship

28:16 Developing people and presentations skills as an animal focused grad

31:45 Completing multiple fellowships and internships in a small field

36:21 Jess's experiences at different zoos

45:51 Working across teams in an organization & non-traditional events at the Zoo

48:45 Managing volunteers - like those in a student group

52:34 The role of the zoo in the 21st century

55:49 Getting a job at a zoo or a similarly niche industry

59:28 Managing breaks in your resume

01:04:00 Work life balance

01:09:20 Biggest successes and failures

01:12:35 Approaching mentorship

01:14:30 Shoutouts!

01:17:14 Final pieces of advice

01:18:02 How to connect with Jessica

01:19:28 Which Creamery flavor Jessica would be and why

01:21:46 Wrap up and final thoughts

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Schreyer Honors College Links:

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Instagram

Overview:

Adeolu Adewumi-Zer ’00 Business and Science, a global advisor, change leader, and passionate advocate for a thriving Africa joins FTG to discuss her journey from State College to Penn State to Germany, Turkey, and now Nigeria. She shares her perspectives on majoring in math and actuarial science with an international lens. Adelou provides insight into careers in consulting and in-house corporate work both in the US and abroad and transitioning from detailed STEM work to managing and leading people in complex organizations. She also shares her experiences taking the plunge to leave corporate life and start her own firm after opening a regional office for one of the largest financial firms in the world and serving on corporate and non-profit board. This episode can be helpful for any Scholar, and is a can’t miss one for any Scholar planning to major or work in a business, consulting, and/or international setting. Adelou’s bio is available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed.

Guest Bio:

Adeolu Adewumi-Zer ’00 Bus, Sci is a global advisor, change leader, and passionate advocate for a thriving Africa. Adeolu earned her Bachelor of Science degrees in Actuarial Science and Mathematics with Honors, along with a Minor in Japanese, from Penn State in 2000 after growing up in State College. Adeolu built a stellar global financial services career spanning four continents. She most recently oversaw ca. EUR 500M investments across Africa as Regional Head of Mergers, Acquisitions and Transformation Africa for the Allianz Group, led Allianz Nigeria as CEO, and has now launched ZER Consulting Africa from Lagos, Nigeria, where she collaborates with development agencies, investment funds, startups, and social entrepreneurs, providing strategic guidance in executive leadership, business strategy, corporate governance, and value creation. Adeolu's passion for Africa extends beyond her professional pursuits, as she actively champions critical causes such as financial inclusion, gender equality, and quality education. A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Adeolu frequently graces international conferences, sharing her dynamic insights on corporate governance, executive leadership, and gender empowerment.

Connect with Adeolu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adeoluadewumi/

Episode Topic & Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:47 How Adeolu came to Penn State and the Honors College

02:31 Selecting math-based majors in science and business

03:56 Using hard STEM skills in leadership roles

06:02 Being a Bunton Waller Scholar too

08:20 The Honors Thesis

10:01 Choosing industry over academia

11:54 Becoming a certified actuary

13:53 The B and C - study abroad and campus involvement

15:40 Using campus and family experiences as a manager and leader in industry

16:57 Coaches, sponsors, and mentors

19:57 Working in consulting

21:28 Going from consultant to corporate

23:22 Working in Europe and Africa

26:46 Opening a new office/branch for a company and resources for working moms internationally

30:19 What is Allianz

32:01 Going out on your own & starting your own firm

38:38 Facing challenging situations as a leader

40:39 Leadership skills to develop as a Scholar

42:09 Serving on corporate and non-profit boards

43:07 Time management strategies - saying yes and saying no

46:00 What the host didn't know to ask

47:38 Biggest success and failures

48:58 The responsibility of being sponsored

50:54 Shoutouts!

52:28 Final pieces of advice

53:52 How to get in touch with Ade...

Overview:

Alumnae Yuri Unno ’95 Behrend and Amanda Blunt ’09 Lib join Following the Gong to discuss working for major automotive companies Toyota and GM, respectively, in Washington D.C. They both share their stories of finding Penn State – Yuri as an international student, Amanda as someone from “outside Philly” – and how they found interests working in trade policy, lobbying, legal affairs, and more. Both share their insights on graduate and professional school, careers in these fields, educating government administrators and legislators, and navigating the complexities of the nation’s capital. This episode is great for any Scholar, and especially those interested in these topics, international students, and those who live or plan to live and work in and around DC. Both Amanda and Yuri’s bios are available below along with chapter markers detailing the topics discussed.

Guest Bios:

Yuri Unno ’95 Behrend is a federal lobbyist for Toyota Motor North America's Government Office in Washington, D.C., serving as the Director for Trade and Supply Chain. She is responsible for representing Toyota in front of the Administration and Congress on these issues. She earned her BA in Political Science with Honors and BA in Economics from the Penn State Behrend College. She also earned her MA from the Elliott School of International Studies at Gorge Washington University. Prior to her extensive career at Toyota, Yuri worked at a small consulting firm called G7 Group.

Amanda Blunt ’09 Liberal Arts is Counsel for Legal Affairs and Trade at Detroit-based car company General Motors's Washington, D.C. office. She is an international trade attorney for the company and, sitting in DC, works closely with the company's lobbyists in the Global Public Policy office. She also teaches international negotiations at Georgetown Law, where she earned her JD. Before joining GM in 2021 she worked at the White House for 5 years under 3 Presidential administrations at the Office of the US Trade Representative. USTR is responsible for US trade policy, including negotiating trade deals with other countries and litigating disputes at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. While at USTR she won a case against China at the WTO, and negotiated agreements with China, the EU, Japan, and other countries as well as in international bodies like the United Nations. Prior to government service she began her career at a large law firm. She earned her BA in Political Science with Honors from Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts. She likes speaking with students about law school, politics and careers in Washington, as well as international affairs and of course, trade. Her LinkedIn is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-blunt-b933317/

Episode Topic & Chapters

0:00 Introductions

00:44 Choosing Penn State and the Schreyer Honors College

03:07 Advice for Scholars finishing at a campus other than University Park

03:59 Advice for international students

04:56 Amanda's Penn State origin story

06:01 Being in a sorority as a Scholar

07:29 The Honors Thesis

09:18 Transitioning from college to industry

10:29 Deciding on law school

12:43 Staying at one company for the bulk of your career

16:09 Lobbying at various levels of government

19:29 Amanda's early career in big law and the White House

20:57 Advice for Scholars looking to work in the public sector

21:46 Working in business with a liberal arts degree

24:30 Working for a "car company" but not being a "car guy"

26:15 Being the "utility infielder" for the gov relations staff

27:17 Effectively lobbying legislators and other offi...