Penn State Proud

I'm going to guess that I was one of about 20,000 who graduated with my class from The Pennsylvania State University many years ago. I would be surprised if I graduated in the top 25% of that group and while I have made regular small donations over the years, I'm hardly a sustaining donor. Yet, the Penn State community has always treated me like I was Joe Paterno's daughter. They have continued to reach out to me, meet with me and invite me to events in Los Angeles and treated me very well when I have returned to University Park.

When Mike Poorman, Senior Lecturer and Director of Alumni Relations for the College of Communications at Penn State, asked me to participate on a panel "From Happy Valley to Digital Hollywood" I said thanks, but I'm probably not the best choice. I just started my Social Media Marketing business. I'm glad he convinced me otherwise.

First, I was included in a group of real Social Media pros: Chris Krewson, editor, THR.com at The Hollywood Reporter; Dan Reynolds, Director, Social Media Strategy at The Walt Disney Company; and Ryan Ritchie, Director of Operations, Open Bar, the Interactive Division of Hamagami/Carroll, Inc. Chris served as both moderator and experienced panelist. Second, the event was held at the Aidikoff Screening Room on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, possibly the only time in my life I will sit in a director's chair on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

To prepare for the sitting in a director's chair and being on a panel, I attended an event the night before for the cast of Downton Abbey at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Most in attendance were there to see and hear the talented cast and creators speak. I was also there to observe how the women sat in director's chairs wearing a dress. I knew I could never pull off their elegance, but I managed to appear ladylike in public and was especially pleased that neither shoe fell off.

Chris Krewson, Dan Reynolds, Ryan Ritchie, Lynne Gullo 

Michelle Dockery, Gareth Neame, Elizabeth McGovern, Julian Fellowes

Among the questions Chris asked us were how we got from Happy Valley to Hollywood and what skills we learned at Penn State that we still count on today. I realized that my journey from Penn State to where I am now has brought me full circle. My original career goal with my B.A. in Advertising was to be a copywriter. My first career was in New York City in publishing for HBJ and William Morrow, specifically in Children's Book Marketing. I moved to Los Angeles and had a rewarding second career in entertainment and printing, most notably as Print Production Director at NBC Universal and Fox Home Entertainment. Now I've started on my third career in Social Media Marketing, which in essence is copywriting!

Today I came across Conan O'Brien's 2011 Dartmouth College Commencement Address which came after his disastrous departure from NBC. He is both hilarious and incredibly moving. O'Brien says, "Your path at 22 will not necessarily be your path at 32 or 42. One's dream is constantly evolving, rising and falling, changing course...The person you are now is someone you could never have conjured."

Thank you to Penn State for the opportunities that have paved my path to where I am now. "We Are Penn State!"