January 08, 2024
BY ESTHER SHANAHAN
As an interaction designer at Google, Peter Hershey’s job is to figure out how to make technology more useful and reducing the time it takes for people to complete everyday tasks.
Could you benefit from automating the mundane responsibilities in your life? Google Assistant, which Hershey works with, can help people turn on lights, set timers, create reminders – in short, make life easier so people can spend less time on daily jobs and more energy on what they enjoy.
“We’re only scratching the surface of what these assistants can do,” Hershey said. “In five years, we could be able to do things we aren’t even anticipating now.”
Hershey pivoted to a career in user experience (UX) design after working as a brand designer for several years, and the change feels like the ideal progression for him.
“It wasn’t intentional,” he laughed. “I was facing the same challenges year after year but wanted to do something different. What attracted me to UX was it is more quantifiable. As a brand designer, if you make a logo and the client doesn’t like it, you’re out of luck. With UX design, we examine metrics and conduct user testing. If you design an incredible app but then no one can use it, you don’t give up. You go step by step and figure it out.”
Instead of attending a coding bootcamp, Hershey transitioned into his new position via on-the-job training. It wasn’t the first time he relied on experiential learning for professional growth – during his time at KU, he worked as a student employee for the Office of University Relations and developed his digital design skills. Those skills, along with other projects, led Hershey to build a portfolio of work he could display for prospective employers, which helped him secure a position.
“When you apply for your first job, you have to show prospective employers you can do the thing you want to get hired for,” he said. “Develop a portfolio through internships, student employment, volunteer work or personal projects. An employer wants to get a sense of what you can do and that they can trust you to do it.”
At KU, he also learned how to become a more versatile thinker and generate ideas on the fly.
“‘Visual Thinking’ with Kate Clair, professor in Art & Design, was a crucial class for me,” he explained. “It was instrumental in teaching me how to get ideas out of my mind and onto paper. An idea in your head isn’t worth anything. For one assignment, we had to draw a smiley face 100 different ways and submit it the next day. I learned there are more ideas in my head than I thought there were, and (also) how to think beyond the obvious. I find that very valuable, even many years later.”
When he isn’t brainstorming new ways to streamline daily life with tech, Hershey is traveling the world. A thirst for adventure has taken him to 39 countries, everywhere from Germany to Southeast Asia.
“My life has been enriched so much by the people I’ve met traveling,” he said. “You never know what to expect, and that’s the most fun. Get out there. Meet people. You’ll reap dividends in your life that you could have never even anticipated.”
Peter Hershey is a 2012 of Kutztown's Communication Design program.
This article originally appeared in the 2023 Tower Magazine.
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Nessa Cartagena of Bethlehem, Pa., was awarded the 2018 Enlightened Leadership Scholarship to attend KU and majors in finance and personal financial planning.
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Peace Corps volunteer Yorman De La Rosa made it to Morocco by way of Kutztown University, after a semester-long stop in our nation’s capital.
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Jacey Tran and Bekah Roux, honors students at KU, became fast friends during the unexpected 2020 quarantine.
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Kutztown University gave Moe an opportunity that no other school did, to study a prestigious major while playing championship-level basketball.
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Kutztown University alumnus, Collin DiGalbo, signs professional contract to continue football career overseas.
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Students and faculty conducted an archaeological dig at a prehistoric site on campus.
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KU alumna works to increase the prevalence of multicultural literature in schools.
KU alumnus finds entrepreneurial success in an unexpected way.
KU alumna find success in show business.
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KU professors and internationally renowned musical duo nurture promising students and promote the university’s musical offerings.
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Kutztown University alumnus is continuing the legacy of education.
Meet Kutztown University student Mallory Schmidt who is studying Special Education/Visually Impaired.
Meet Kutztown University Student Rotuk Rahedi studying Sport Management.
Environmental science student Patrick plans to continue his research in graduate school.
Meet Kutztown University student Bianca Rosales studying Art Education.
Biology major has soared with research opportunities at KU and beyond.
This 2019 graduate is on her way to a pediatric residency after completing med school.
Meet Kutztown University student Victoria Fischer, studying Cinema, Television and Media Production
Meet Kutztown University student Sylvannah Gulley, a Library Science major.
Meet Kutztown University student Nicholas Coppolino, a Business Administration/Entrepreneurship major.
Student spotlight alert! Meet Eva Labram. She is a Professional Writing major at Kutztown University. Learn more about her education journey here.
Audrey Zimmerman co-owns the oldest children's shoe company in America.
This 2014 graduate is practicing the art of dentistry.
Kutztown alum graduates from prestigious FBI National Academy.
Traveling to the brink of volcanoes.
Ensuring Safety in Research Environments.
The Blues and Rock Ensemble at Kutztown University will make you get out of your seat and dance - and applaud this award-winning group.
READ FULL STORYAfter graduation, Heather Browne '16 moved back to the Baltimore area, where she is now a first-grade teacher at the Maryland School for the Blind.
READ FULL STORYTwo years after graduating in 2009, Clay created his first fantasy football website. By 2016, ESPN came calling.
READ FULL STORYNessa Cartagena of Bethlehem, Pa., was awarded the 2018 Enlightened Leadership Scholarship to attend KU and majors in finance and personal financial planning.
READ FULL STORYA field hockey player by training, she soon identified the characteristic that would come to define her love for politics: a competitive spirit.
READ FULL STORYPeace Corps volunteer Yorman De La Rosa made it to Morocco by way of Kutztown University, after a semester-long stop in our nation’s capital.
READ FULL STORYMarybeth Kern ’09, M’19, who recently secured a spot as a featured artist in Logic’s music video, is all about collaboration.
READ FULL STORYTekiah Brabham's commitment to urban classrooms leads her to teach in Washington, D.C.
READ FULL STORYKU Celebrates First Graduating Cohort of the Education Doctorate Program.
READ FULL STORYChristina Franko Uliano ’07 used a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms grant to broaden her curriculum. After spending time abroad in Colombia, Christina joined a Fulbright global education online course to learn the tools for bringing global thinking into the classroom.
READ FULL STORYJacey Tran and Bekah Roux, honors students at KU, became fast friends during the unexpected 2020 quarantine.
READ FULL STORYKutztown University is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its relationship with the Lake Peninsula School District in the state of Alaska.
READ FULL STORYSarah is a junior, majoring in social media theory and strategy, with a double minor in business and communications.
READ FULL STORYKutztown University gave Moe an opportunity that no other school did, to study a prestigious major while playing championship-level basketball.
READ FULL STORYMichael is a sophomore, majoring in secondary education with a concentration in mathematics.
READ FULL STORYIn this Kutztown University Student Spotlight, we highlight Laura Gale. Laura is a senior, pursuing anthropology degree. See why she chose KU!
READ FULL STORYKutztown University alumnus, Collin DiGalbo, signs professional contract to continue football career overseas.
READ FULL STORYKutztown University student Joey Strain has lived out his dream of being a children’s book illustrator, and he hasn’t even graduated yet.
READ FULL STORYRecent graduate Tyler Shull is ready to set out on his journey as a teacher.
READ FULL STORYBriana combined a marketing major with a social media minor to create a path to success in a field she can't wait to join.
READ FULL STORYSavina found the perfect combination at KU, with a double major in chemistry and environmental science.
READ FULL STORYChinonyerem, "Noye" is a senior, majoring in Elementary Education/Pre-K - 4 and Special Education/Visual Impairments.
READ FULL STORYFrankmarlin is a 2020 Kutztown University graduate of the Studio Arts Program. He returned to KU in 2020-21 as an artist in residence.
READ FULL STORYNicholas found a community of ambitious, talented students who challenge him to grow as an artist and aspiring teacher.
READ FULL STORYKU's Upward Bound program helps prepare students in Allentown's William Allen School District for a college education.
READ FULL STORYStudents and faculty conducted an archaeological dig at a prehistoric site on campus.
READ FULL STORYKU alumnus dedicates career to defending "everyday people."
READ FULL STORYKU alumna charts a path to her dream job.
READ FULL STORYKU alumna works to increase the prevalence of multicultural literature in schools.
READ FULL STORYKU alumnus finds entrepreneurial success in an unexpected way.
READ FULL STORYKU alumna find success in show business.
READ FULL STORYThis professional writing graduate is helping to bring PennDOT's message to the people of Pennsylvania.
READ FULL STORYKU professors and internationally renowned musical duo nurture promising students and promote the university’s musical offerings.
READ FULL STORYKutztown University alumnus fights food insecurity with America’s Grow-a-Row
READ FULL STORYPolitical Science alumna pursues career in law.
READ FULL STORYAlumna's experience at KU leads to her dream job in a copper mine.
READ FULL STORYKutztown University alumnus is continuing the legacy of education.
READ FULL STORYMeet Kutztown University student Mallory Schmidt who is studying Special Education/Visually Impaired.
READ FULL STORYMeet Kutztown University Student Rotuk Rahedi studying Sport Management.
READ FULL STORYEnvironmental science student Patrick plans to continue his research in graduate school.
READ FULL STORYMeet Kutztown University student Bianca Rosales studying Art Education.
READ FULL STORYBiology major has soared with research opportunities at KU and beyond.
READ FULL STORYThis 2019 graduate is on her way to a pediatric residency after completing med school.
READ FULL STORYMeet Kutztown University student Victoria Fischer, studying Cinema, Television and Media Production
READ FULL STORYMeet Kutztown University student Sylvannah Gulley, a Library Science major.
READ FULL STORYMeet Kutztown University student Nicholas Coppolino, a Business Administration/Entrepreneurship major.
READ FULL STORYStudent spotlight alert! Meet Eva Labram. She is a Professional Writing major at Kutztown University. Learn more about her education journey here.
READ FULL STORYAudrey Zimmerman co-owns the oldest children's shoe company in America.
READ FULL STORYThis 2014 graduate is practicing the art of dentistry.
READ FULL STORYKutztown alum graduates from prestigious FBI National Academy.
READ FULL STORYTraveling to the brink of volcanoes.
READ FULL STORYEnsuring Safety in Research Environments.
READ FULL STORY