John R. Kershner, UIF Fall 2017

Mechanical Engineering and German Minor, York College of PA '20

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Hello all! I’m John. In addition to academics, I am very involved at school. I am a Graham Innovation Scholar, Student Senator, and Orientation Leader. I’ve played sax in the jazz band, and currently play string bass in the college's community orchestra.

Growing up in Reading, PA, I was lucky to have passionate teachers who instilled a love of science and math in me at a young age. I’m forever thankful for Mrs. Lorah who taught me algebra, and forced me to join a science competition in 6^th grade! This sparked my love for math and science, which continued through high school. Like any true nerd, physics and calculus were classes that I loved.

Going through school, I learned to love music and languages in addition to STEM subjects. I wanted to study some type of engineering, but I also wanted to go to a college where other interests could be pursued... and York was the perfect fit. Talk to me passionately about something, or show me a TED Talk, and I’m hooked! My interests in lots of things lead me to apply to the Graham Scholars Program at YCP. This is a program for highly motivated students interested in business skills and innovation. In this program, cross collaboration between majors is required, and learning in our cohort classes is project based. The Graham Scholars Program allowed me to take a First Year Seminar about Design Thinking, network with business leaders on day one, participate in a student run business, and APPLY TO UIF! Learning design thinking last year changed how I thought about problem solving and creative confidence. With successful completion of UIF Training, I hope to have the skills to introduce innovation to the entire campus, and bring a creative mindset to every encounter in my life.

In my spare time, I practice German, talk about travel, take pictures, eat chocolate, and practice mindfulness! Language learning has opened so many doors in my life. Currently, I’m starting to apply for co-ops, and hopefully next summer I’ll be working in Germany. Travel to Europe in previous summers has created never-ending Wanderlust in me, and an interest to learn another language. So now I’m taking a Spanish 101, and boy is learning a language from scratch a humbling experience.

Email: jkershner@ycp.edu

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kershner/