Isaac Strausbaugh, Class of 2018
Field Service Representative II at Ingenuity and Purpose (IAP)
“My time at Penn State pushed and challenged me to grow professionally, and expand my knowledge in the business industry.”
Despite only being a Penn State York student for two years, Isaac Strausbaugh still applies what he learned to this day.
“I have taken many parts with me from my experience at Penn State York,” he said. “Each class proved to be essential in giving me a clear direction and a successful career. My education opened doors for me to become a safety facility manager, ethics ambassador, and now a service representative.”
Penn State York also provided Strausbaugh with the necessary education to help him to start his own business called Woodsman’s Creation by Isaac, where he develops, designs, and fabricates handcrafted outdoor furniture.
“Anybody can start a business,” he said. “For the business to be sustainable and profitable, however, it takes experience and a foundational knowledge of how a business works. Foundational details like legalities, ethics, management of personnel, supplier relations, and profitable accounting can be ambiguous. This is where Penn State York filled in the gaps and led me to enjoy running a business; my education there provided me with a strong enough understanding that made starting up my own business obtainable!”
Strausbaugh cites his relationships with Penn State York professors as the core of his post-graduate success.
“One of the most important elements of my time at Penn State York were the relationships I had with my professors,” he said. “They saw my potential and taught me how to optimize it. Every professor is personable and dependable; the one-on-one time they provide helps to further expand course content and develop professional relationships into an expansive network really in any field of study.”
Strausbaugh graduated in spring 2018 with an associate of science in Business Administration, and serves as a field service representative II at Ingenuity and Purpose (IAP) while simultaneously running his business. During his time at Penn State York, he was a member of the military veteran’s club and became a chemical field service representative for the National Guard and Army Reserves.
“If you want a degree that is diverse, flexible with schedules, and relevant across many industries, Penn State York is for you,” he said. “You will find that every class has something to offer you to better yourself and your career path. You cannot walk away with a degree from Penn State York and not have the feeling that you earned a degree from an institution that has time and time again proven its lasting, respected worth. Graduates belong to a family and a legacy.”
