Featured Student - Josh Natker

In 2008 when I graduated high school, my parents had one rule for me – I could not stay in California.

This was more than a trick to have me experience winter and come running back home after college, but rather one of life’s lessons, experiences and maturity. Only now do I fully understand the magnitude of knowledge that my parents provided me with by sending me to Penn State. I came to Penn State like every other freshman; lost, confused, and had no idea about my career aspirations. Today, I am graduating in three and a half years with a major in Finance concentrating in Real Estate and a minor in International Business. I spent six months living as an Argentine in Buenos Aires, backpacked up through South and Central America and across Western Europe, have held four summer internships at prominent blue chip firms, am leaving school with a full time job offer in New York City, and still had time to live Penn State. In January I will begin my career working for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Manhattan. I will be part of the financial services, structured products and real estate team modeling deals and analyzing numbers for pension funds and banks that don’t specialize, but hold real estate assets on their books. Everyone asks why I would ever graduate early and leave the best place in the world. The truth is because I am excited and ready to test the skills Penn State armed me with in the real world. If anyone says there isn’t a job in this market for you, they’re bluffing. You are Penn State and there is no better experience and education in this world that you can receive to prepare and push you ahead against any competition that might arise in your path.

We Are.