UNIVERSITY PARK, PA — Penn State College of Arts and Sciences alumna Jessica Glick, a 2002 psychology graduate with a dual major in industrial relations and dispute management and resolution, has been a J . Owner of Rose Bartending, a company that serves public and private events. Glick said she believes her Penn State degree is critical to creating a true, “people-focused” business that prioritizes selling meaningful experiences, not just products.
In high school, she said, Glick didn’t expect bartending — let alone owning his own bartending business — to even be on the screen. Difference between now and then? Her education and experience at Penn State University.
Glick, who is from State, said she wasn’t motivated to go to college until she realized Penn State had countless opportunities. She pursued a degree in Psychology because of her ongoing interest in the human condition, and this interest, along with the engaging courses taught by psychology professor Susan J. Simkins, led her to specialize in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.
“It was a 100-level introductory course, but I thought, ‘Wow, this is really interesting, about the dynamics of the workplace and what motivates people and what makes people happy,'” Glick said. “I will always remember Professor Simkins because she was an excellent speaker.”
Glick later became a teaching assistant at Simkins, an experience that allowed her to communicate with students about the fundamental ideas of industrial/organizational psychology, which she says she has continued to use in every job since then, including her final Bartender business.
“Key principles are used in running a business every day — dealing with customers, talking to employees, understanding what motivates people other than higher wages,” Glick said.
After graduating, Glick continued her studies in Toronto, Canada, majoring in orthopaedics, but eventually decided to give up and return to the state college, which she considers her “home base.” In search of a new job, Glick worked as a bartender at a state university downtown, which became “one of the most important environments of my life,” she said. A friend came up with the idea of starting a bartending business, which made Glick’s eyes shine – business and entrepreneurship, being her own boss, was her dream.
She and her friends saw an opportunity to start a bartending business at State University that emphasized reliability, authenticity, and a focus on people, which they pursued together. As the business grew, Glick took on more responsibilities and eventually became the sole owner of the organization in 2012, changing its name to J. Rose Bartending. A decade later, the company provides bartending services at public and private events of all sizes across Pennsylvania.