Alumni Spotlight - Faith Hatchard

Faith Hatchard

Class of 2020

Five Questions with Faith Hatchard...

1. What was your academic rundown, and what are you doing now?
I graduated from Penn State in 2020 as the College Marshal with a degree in Management, focused on Organizational Leadership. When I first came to Smeal, I was seeking to be a Corporate Innovation & Entrepreneurship major, but for a variety of reasons I landed on Management, with one of the main reasons being my love of people and interest in psychology & sociology. I was still able to pursue my interest in innovation & entrepreneurship by taking part in the Humanitarian Engineering & Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) program in the College of Engineering. While at Penn State, I was involved in Smeal’s Sapphire Leadership Academic Program, the Presidential Leadership Academy, Lion Ambassadors Student Alumni Corps, and THON, while working part-time. After spending my first year post-grad working for a few start-up companies, I am now working for Grant Thornton in their Public Sector Advisory practice as an Organizational & Operational Transformation Associates

2. What do you enjoy most about your current position?
What I most enjoy about my current position is the opportunity to solve problems that will help the government run more efficiently, which can then in turn positively impact people across the US.

3. How did your Management coursework prepare you for your current position?
My management coursework prepared me tremendously for this role as I am applying organizational behavior, leadership, and strategic management principles directly in the solutions we are providing to our clients. By having this academic background, I am able to clearly articulate our vision to the clients and bring that plan to life. What I learned from my courses is also evident in how I have creatively navigated entering a large firm during 100% remote work and building connections with my colleagues.

4. What advice do you have for students majoring in Management?
The advice I would give students majoring in Management would be to soak up all that Penn State and Smeal have to offer you! There are so many ways to thrive in this major and find unique opportunities if you are open to exploring them. Also, get to know the other folks in your classes in the major-- there are so many different reasons why people choose Management as their major and it's really fascinating to learn from one another.

5. What is your favorite Penn State memory?
There are too many to pick from, but one of my favorite Penn State memories would have to be giving campus tours with Lion Ambassadors. I loved sharing Penn State with prospective students (and walking backwards)!