Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series of high-achieving students who are engaged with the city and region in impactful ways, made possible through a content partnership with Campus Philly.
A lot of big things have happened in Kennth Horner's life in the last month or so.
He graduated from
LaSalle University on May 20, earning Bachelor's degrees in Communications and English. He also got engaged to his girlfriend Claire Fisher. Plus, he just started a new job with the Environment, Health and Safety group at
GlaxoSmithKline, where he interned as a communications specialist.
It's the small stuff, however, that really impacted the Northeast Philadelphia native during his college years. He did a microjournalism project in Germantown that gave him a first-hand look at some of the poverty and other struggles faced by families just down the road from where he grew up. It also revealed a much different kind of spirit that is often portrayed by national media.
"The people in Philly are always very friendly and you get to know a lot of different types of folks," says the former managing editor of LaSalle's
The Collegian newspaper.
Read on for more on Horner's Philadelphia college experience.
Kenneth Horner
School: LaSalle University (graduated)
Major: Communication and English
Hometown: Philadelphia
Extracurriculars: Writing tutor, managing editor of The Collegian, member of Circle K
How do you explore the city?
My girlfriend and I use the campus discounts a lot to find cool new places to go. We’re also big fans of Groupon. Sometimes if you just get off the train and wander for awhile, you can discover some new cool place. The city has so much to offer.
What’s one hidden gem you’ve discovered in the city?
One little place that I love is Buffalo Billiards. They’ve got darts, pool, skeeball, everything. It’s a great place to catch a game.
Where would you like to live in Philly?
I love a lot of the neighborhoods in Philly. I grew up in Northeast, and I work in center city, about a minute’s walk away from where I went to high school. Center city is super expensive- if I could live in any neighborhood, it would probably be Northern Liberties. It’s a very hip neighborhood. Maybe a little bit too hip for me.
What would you tell a student who was thinking about coming to the Philly area for college?
I’d talk about the diversity that Philly has to offer. There’s so many different people, and they’re all very friendly. Even if you’re not actually in the city, you’re basically a minute away, so you can still feel like you’re part of it. There’s a lot of opportunities available to college students.
How do you give back to Philly?
When I was involved with Circle K at La Salle, I participated in a JDRF walk, visited a local nursing home in Germantown to spend time with its residents and helped package food at a food bank near La Salle. Also, as part of the journalism track at La Salle, I was able to write a few hyper-local news and feature pieces about people in Germantown, which is a very poor area. It was really beneficial to meet people from different walks of life who are all around us, and thinking about all the ways that we can help out as college kids.
What’s your ideal Philly job?
I sort of have it. Once my current internship is over, I’ll be working in GlaxoSmithKline’s Environment, Health and Safety group, which I’m really excited about. It’s really important to me that I work with a socially conscious organization. I’m really happy that I get to work for a pharmaceutical company like GSK that always remembers to keep its patients and people first.
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