Third-year Penn State student Hunter Porcano is studying Biological Engineering with a focus in Food and Bioprocessing. This year, a love for kombucha, a spontaneous Instagram message and a job as a brewer assistant has changed the course of her career.

“This summer, I stayed at Penn State to work in a Food Science lab, and I was on the hunt for a part time job that could also relate to my studies,” Porcano said. “I have been drinking Moody Culture Kombucha for a while. I saw on Instagram that the creators of Moody Culture decided to open a brewery called Antifragile Brewing Company, and I was instantly interested.”

There were no applications available yet, but Porcano said that she had a “gut feeling” that she wanted to be involved, so she reached out to them through Instagram. “I offered to be a part of the team in any way I could just learn. They offered to let me help a few times a week in the brewery, and I absolutely loved it. From there I have become almost a full-time worker in the brewery and at the bar.”

Today, she works at Antifragile Brewing Company as a brewer assistant and as a bartender in addition to her studies. And even though it’s only been three months, she says that it’s made a dramatic impact on her future.

“My role at Antifragile has quite honestly changed the course of my career path,” she said. “I absolutely love brewing, and I believe I belong in the alcohol industry. I am so thankful to my bosses for putting so much trust into me. They are always willing to teach and provide great learning experiences for me. Working as a bartender has also given me so many valuable connections. I talk to such a diverse group of people every shift, and I am constantly learning from every experience.”

“Working under such successful entrepreneurs has been so inspiring,” she added. “It has made me want to explore entrepreneurship myself. I plan to add the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Intercollege (ENTI) minor at Penn State to my degree.”

She says that she’s learned skills beyond brewing and bartending as well. “I am mostly proud of the confidence I have gained while working here. The owners always give me a chance to voice my opinion. It is such a refreshing environment to be a part of.”

What she wants everyone to know about Antifragile Brewing Company? “I feel like people always find this out eventually, you should know how fun everyone is at Antifragile Brewing Company. It is always a goofy and comfortable environment to be in. We love welcoming all types of people in the brewery. We are friendly and we serve good beer… what could be better!”