Name

Katherine Hansen

Graduation Year & Major

May 2005 – College of Communications

Occupation

Corporate Communications for The McGraw-Hill Companies

Neighborhood/Location

Upper East Side

How often do you go back to PSU and what do you miss most about it?

I make it out to State College about once or twice a year…not nearly as often as I’d like! Once you set foot in corporate America, you no longer have the social acceptance or “luxury” of wearing hoodies and sweats from The Family Clothesline 24/7, so I definitely miss those days! Believe it or not, I miss setting foot outside on any given night and hearing the Eagles and Steelers fans chanting in the streets. Above all else, I miss being surrounded by so much pride and enthusiasm everywhere I turned, and having all of my closest friends live just a hop, skip and a jump away from me.

Who is your favorite Penn Stater, past or present?

Growing up, I used to babysit for two boys whose father was a Penn State alum. I remember the stories he’d tell me about his time at Penn State and, the more we spoke about it, the more interested I became in attending. Fast forward to my high school graduation when I received a huge Penn State flag from the father, which he got when he was a student. He had such an amazing time at Penn State that he wanted to hand the flag down to me so I could have a similar experience. Looking back, he played an instrumental role in my college decision process.  So, I would have to say this father is my favorite Penn Stater.

Peachy Paterno or Black Cow?

You can never go wrong with Peachy Paterno, but I am a big fun of Lion Tracks – vanilla with peanut butter and chocolate. Yum!

It's a random Wednesday night and you are out and about. Where are you and what are you doing? 

On a Wednesday night back at school, I’d probably be starting my night out with $7 margaritas at Mad Mex then on to the next destination. In New York, the options are endless, so there’s no telling what a given Wednesday night might bring!