Aneury Perez, Class of 2015
Multi-Center Financial Manager at Fulton Bank
“I wear many hats in my current career, but my education at Penn State York was well-rounded and prepared me for it.”
Aneury Perez did not initially plan on staying at Penn State York for all four years.
“I went to Penn State York thinking I would do two years at York and the remaining two years at University Park,” he said. “I quickly saw, however, the value in continuing taking advantage of learning with other students who were already in their profession and were local. I learned a lot from their life experiences, and I’m not sure I would have gotten that kind of exposure at a larger campus.”
Perez specifically remembers one interaction he had with a student that officially changed his mind about moving onto a larger campus.
“I remember there being a class I should have had taken a prerequisite for prior to enrolling in the course,” he said. “Once I realized I didn’t have the prerequisite accounting course needed that first week, I was tempted to give up. I was able to successfully complete it, however, because a nontraditional student talked me into staying in the class. He helped me stay on track, and it was one of the best experiences I had with Penn State as a whole.”
Remaining local became an important perk for Perez, one that he is glad he stuck around for.
“I was able to hit the ground running in community involvement thanks to the localized networking opportunities given to us through Penn State York,” he said. “I am really involved with the local little league, and I was able to remain working full-time while commuting to school full-time as well. I ended up getting to finish my schooling a semester early, which was amazing!”
Perez graduated in the winter of 2015 with a bachelor of science in Business, and is currently working as a multi-center financial manager at Fulton Bank. Despite working full-time while attending Penn State York, he stayed involved with the Spanish Club and even managed to land a job at an institution he took a final exam at.
“One of the professors had us take our final finance exam at a bank when something came up and forced him to rearrange the final exam schedule,” he said. “Because of this, I ended up being offered a position there as a financial center manager. From this job, I learned about human resources, how to build rapport with clients, understanding what common sales techniques are, and the importance of relationship management systems.”
“This was a great real-world experience that I only could have gotten by staying local,” Perez continued. “Penn State York helped me to get there and to where I am today, and I couldn’t be more thankful.”
Kyle Fullerton, Class of 2021
Procurement Analyst for New Standard Corporation
“Penn State York gave me ample opportunity to develop and ready myself for the business world.”
It wasn’t always easy for Kyle Fullerton to put himself out there and get involved.
“It was a slow and painful process trying to put myself out there when I started at Penn State York because I was totally out of my comfort zone,” Fullerton said. “I was fortunate enough, however, to meet people at York campus that pulled me along and encouraged me to be more sociable.”
Before Fullerton knew it, he was involved in a variety of extracurricular activities; he became a member of the Graham Fellows Program for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Phi Beta Lambda – Future Business Leaders of America, and the Student Athletic Club.
“I went from being a student whose involvement started and ended with showing up to a name and face known by many people on campus,” Fullerton said. “I ended up obtaining leadership positions in all of the clubs I was a part of, which gave me the confidence I needed entering the business industry.”
Fullerton’s involvement paid off; he won a number of national awards during his time in Phi Beta Lambda. In 2019, he placed 2nd for the Small Business Management Plan award at the Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBLA) national conference. He also placed 7th for Organizational Behavior and Leadership and 10th for Marketing Concepts at the 2020 national conference, and in 2021 he placed 1st in Business Decision-Making and Analysis and 2nd in Entrepreneurship Concepts.
“I took on a lot more responsibilities when I became president of Phi Beta Lambda,” Fullerton said. “It was hard for me to put more things on my plate, but accepting this role was a decision I am glad I made.”
Fullerton graduated in December of 2021 with his bachelor of science degree in Business Administration with a focus in Supply Chain Management, and has since obtained a position as a procurement analyst at New Standard Corporation located in York, Pennsylvania.
“My experience at Penn State York was a critical turning point in my young professional career,” he said. “The clubs I joined gave me the chance to travel all over the country, which gave me a well-rounded, real experience of the world around me.”
Along with the clubs offered at Penn State York, Fullerton’s experience within the business program also prepared him for his current career.
“The program was really thorough,” he said. “I completed standard course work, but I also got hands-on experience with various analysis techniques, applications of forecasting methods, and foundational work in finance, accounting, and business writing.”
Fullerton credits Penn State York for the acquisition of his current position and success within his career.
“At New Standard Corporation, I am responsible for sourcing and buying materials that are critical to daily operations,” he explained. “This is the job I really wanted. I would not have this position if it weren’t for the experiences Penn State York gave me within the program and the clubs!”
