Details
Assistant Manager, Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA
Age: 26
Education: B.S. in hotel, restaurant and institutional management from Pennsylvania State University
Years at organization: 3
Why Selected?
Michele Newhard, Ph.D., special programs training coordinator at Penn State University, says: During his student days with us Brandon rose through the ranks of virtually every student leadership role available. By the time of his graduation, he held the highest rank of student supervisor. Brandon has the exceptional ability to problem solve, turn problems into opportunities and follow through. He is a true blue Penn State gem!
Get to know
We feed the Penn State football team at my location, and for the last two years I’ve been running that program, be it special events, pregame luncheons or dinners. It’s a behind-the-scenes position for the team, but I’m proud to be in charge of it.
Q. What would you say you excel at over more seasoned colleagues?I find a lot of older people have preconceived notions of the way things should be. I’m a little bit younger, so I think I adapt to change well.
Q. What's the best career advice you've been given?One of my professors told me to delegate. That’s kind of hard for me to do because I like to be hands-on.
Q. What's been the biggest challenge you've had to overcome?I started here as a student, worked my way up the student ladder and then left and came back. It was a challenge for me to leave as a student and then come back and be the boss to people who had been my peers. If anyone ever had a question, I’d do whatever I could to solve it.
Q. What's been your most rewarding moment?For the last two and half years we’ve been planning a remodel for my dining commons. It actually came to fruition this past August. Everything we’d been planning out for so long is finally a reality. It’s been pretty rewarding to see that process.
Q. What would you like to accomplish in your career in the next two years?We have a lot of opportunities here, so there are some positions here I’d be interested in. Within the next two or three years I’d like to be running my own building.
Q. What's been your funniest on-the-job disaster?We had a soda company in to install our soda machines, and one of the lines had a leak in it. [When] they turned it on, Gatorade syrup was pouring from the ceiling. By the end of it I looked like I’d been in a horror film.