Jon Gumble: Sometimes You Have to Pivot

Name: Jonathan Gumble

Hometown/Current Town: Honesdale, Pa./State College, Pa.

Graduate Year/Major: 2013/BS Landscape Contracting, minor in Arboriculture; 2015/MS Horticulture

Current/Most Recent Professional Title: Senior Product Designer

Name of Employer/Organization (or self-employed/retired): Basic Fun!, Inc.

Why did you pick Penn State for your education?

I originally went to Penn to pursue a degree in engineering. Penn State has a world-class engineering school, but I wasn’t sure if that path was going to be for me. I knew at Penn State I’d have options to major in just about anything.

My older sister also attended Penn State, so I was familiar with the campus. It was a great fit for her and provided her with so many opportunities.

What inspired you to pursue your degree?

When I entered my first semester of engineering, I was enrolled in science, math, and chemistry classes, but there was nothing that involved physical building, hands-on learning, or tools. What I didn’t realize at the time was that depending on the type of engineering one may enter, that type of work may just not be part of the career day-to-day. Instead, it could be more computer analysis and running numbers at a desk, which is not what I wanted to do. Once I figured that out, I searched through the Penn State website and reviewed the entire list of majors offered by the University and asked myself what I could do and, more importantly, wanted to spend a career doing.

I found the landscape contracting major and a big part of what drew me in was the design/build option. The program description included classes in horticulture, construction, marketing, and business. It was a well-rounded and practical degree, which I thought sounded incredibly promising. I met with Dan Stearns, who was one of the lead professors and program coordinator at the time. He showed me around the studio spaces, computer labs, and some of the work graduating classes had completed on campus. I realized this was more what I had in mind for a career, so I switched majors after my first semester.

I earned my undergraduate degree in the spring of 2013, and then went on to earn a master’s degree in horticulture by the summer of 2015, publishing an article in the Journal of Environmental Protection. During that time, I lived with a friend of mine and became very ill. I went to a doctor and was referred to an allergist where testing determined I was allergic to grasses, trees, weeds, dogs, and cats. This meant I basically needed a career shift after just graduating from six years of studying agriculture.

I went back to my hometown for a bit to take a break and re-evaluate what I wanted to do. I was at my parents’ home and pulled out some of my old K’NEX sets to distract myself. I started putting pieces together and began to remember ho much I really enjoyed assembling things along with the creative process of designing and building. For whatever reason, I went online and discovered K’NEX was looking for a design associate, so I applied. I was 26 at that point and mentioned I received my first set when I was four years old, so I technically had 22 years of experience with their products and a master’s degree. I got a call back, did two rounds of interviews, and two weeks later I experienced my first day as a K’NEX designer.

What is your favorite Penn State memory?

There are too many to count. Ultimately my whole master’s experience was incredible. Defending my thesis and passing was a huge personal victory. Pressing submit to the Penn State Libraries to have my thesis on file and being published really felt like I did something substantial and worthwhile.

How has your Penn State education influenced your career or life?

Penn State really taught me that you can make a great plan and work out everything on paper, but sometimes you have to pivot. Whether it was changing majors, being allergic to your area of six years of study or experiencing the company you work for going out of business, the best thing you can do is embrace the challenge and experience being out of your comfort zone. That will make you grow as a person. You’re not always going to know how things will turn out, but giving it a shot, getting through it, and coming out at the other end is progress.

What are one or two of your proudest accomplishments in which your Penn State education played a role?

I think defending my master’s degree is one. Another one would be landing my initial position with K’NEX. Being a toy designer is every little kid’s dream and being able to attain a dream job because of two degrees from Penn State and a character reference from Dan Stearns is incredibly fulfilling.

Another fun fact, my good friend and mentor had his wedding in Mexico where I ended up meeting my wife. We celebrated our wedding at the Penn State Arboretum just a year and a half later before we moved to Florida. In terms of meeting my wife, having good friends, and attaining a dream job, the common denominator has been Penn State.

What has been the best advice you've ever received?

A music teacher of mine once said, “Don’t let your schooling interfere with your education.” I feel like that would resonate with what Dan Stearns would say as well. A traditional classroom is great, but at the end of the day, learning comes in all shapes, forms, and sizes. A lot of times, some of the most important lessons occur outside of any academic setting.

Another piece of advice that has stuck with me is that you can learn a lot more from failure than success. As a designer, I’ve done development work for quite a few toys, and some have gone to market and just not done well. That can be really disheartening, but that makes you stop and evaluate your work. Every time there’s a failure, there’s an opportunity to learn something new and try to make something better, which has made me grow as a designer.

Why are you proud to be a Penn State Ag Sciences alum?

The landscape contracting program is really the answer to that question. I may not be working in the landscape industry now, but a lot of principles that were instilled in me by the program I stand and live by today. Work hard, understand the scope of the project, don’t cut corners, have a system, stay grounded, get the job done, be willing to help others, and work collaboratively. Those are just a few of the many that make me proud to be an alumnus of both the Landscape Contracting Program and the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences.