Katie Cowling C'09

What did you study at Penn and when did you graduate? 

I graduated in 2009 as an Anthropology major from the College of Arts & Sciences with minors in Consumer Psychology and Hispanic Studies.

What were you involved with as an undergraduate?

I was a member of Sigma Kappa, Penntoring (Penn tutoring), the club equestrian team, and the club lacrosse team. 

What was your favorite part of Penn?

Definitely the people, both on a personal and professional level! You push each other to be the best versions of yourselves. I’ve been able to stay in touch with people from college even though we’re in different cities, and I’ve gotten to be a bridesmaid in my close friends’ weddings! Those four years are very formative, and the education is phenomenal. The campus itself is also so amazing and you have so many opportunities available to you. 

How was your study abroad experience?

I first did a 6 week summer abroad program in Florence and loved it! It was so interesting to be able to study things like art history in person and to pick up a little bit of the Italian language. 

I also did a full semester in Spain! College is a great time to be in a new country, and you get to completely absorb another culture. You learn to be very independent, and I got to immerse myself in the language. It was definitely one of the most valuable experiences of my life! 

What do you do now and where are you based?

I’m currently in New York City in the Brooklyn office at Facebook! I’m a Product Marketing Manager supporting our healthcare clients and nonprofits. I always knew I wanted to go into Marketing which my Consumer Psychology minor helped with. I spent a few years doing online ad sales and working for a non-profit. I then got my MBA and pivoted into brand management marketing but learned that wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do. A connection from graduate school put me in touch with Facebook, and that’s how I ended up in my position today! Throughout my career, networking with people and building relationships has opened so many doors. You never know who can put you in touch with someone or tell you about a job opening. 

Did you enjoy your experience getting an MBA?

Yes definitely! I really got to build my network through my MBA program and it gave me a broader, but also deeper perspective. I ended up concentrating in Marketing and Global Management and took some really great classes with the professors there.

What has been the biggest challenge of your career?

There’s so much to do day-to-day with your actual job that it can be difficult to take a step back and think about where you want to be in 3, 5, or 10+ years. This was a challenge for me and also keeping myself accountable for my dreams. I was doing well in digital advertising, but realized that wasn’t what I wanted to do for my whole life. Brand management was appealing, and they mainly recruit MBA students so I pivoted my focus to that. Overall, figuring out what I want to do, what my strengths are, and how they played into my future was a process. There were points where I had to prioritize different things, but various opportunities popped up by working hard and being open minded. 

What advice do you wish you had known when you were an undergraduate?

Keep an open mind! At Penn, it may feel like people are super focused on just one thing and you may want to pivot to something different -- that’s totally okay. Things can happen for a reason, and you’ll end up where you need to. Graduating during a recession most certainly wasn’t ideal for me, but I ended up in a position at a non-profit that taught me so many life skills that I used later on in my career. There was a time when I didn’t get the promotion I wanted, but it taught me so much about what I could do differently in the future.