When Michael Hoover started college, he never thought he’d become an entrepreneur and a businessman.
As a freshman at Penn State Abington, he dived in, trying science, music, photography and even humanitarian efforts.
During his sophomore year, he helped disabled individuals through an internship at Pleasant manor, in Point Pleasant, Pa. He developed an emotional bond with the people there, and he and his band fundraised for summer camps for kids by hosting a concert.
As a freshman at Penn State Abington, he dived in, trying science, music, photography and even humanitarian efforts.
During his sophomore year, he helped disabled individuals through an internship at Pleasant manor, in Point Pleasant, Pa. He developed an emotional bond with the people there, and he and his band fundraised for summer camps for kids by hosting a concert.
He went on to challenge himself by joining the Daily Collegian, Penn State University’s campus newspaper during his junior year. He earned “Photographer of the Week” and “Photographer of the Month”, worked for small photoshop places and entered photography contests.
“The opportunity to get accepted to work at the Daily Collegian helped me explore my creative side,” said Hoover, who recently participated in a Media vs. Reality panel at Penn State Abington. “I got to capture interesting moments and be part of great experiences in the journalistic field.
”Hoover, who went on to graduate in 1999 with a degree in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology at the College of Liberal Arts, is now the president at his small but industrious company, ATR Systems. (www.atrsystems.com).
While he was a full-time student at Penn State, he started exploring web design while working in computer labs, which helped him with customer service and problem solving. He later managed to create his own business of web design and development. In his small private business, he helped small businesses brand themselves and develop an online presence.
Michael then started assisting his father in the Warminster, Pa.-based family business – aiding the company to adjust with the 21st century tech savvy system. As president, he leads business development and oversees the sales department of ATR Systems. He also helped the company roll out a very crucial cloud-based time-and-attendant platform; the latest feature they provide to their clients.
“This company helps clients save time, money and paper. We specialize in selling, implementing and supporting time and labor management solutions,” said Hoover, who is helping develop a national certification for the industry. “We automate time and attendance, which prevents fraud.”
ATR provides services to clients across the health care, manufacturing, nonprofit, education, hospitality, municipal and retail industries ranging from five to 5,000 employees. The company is a member of the Independent Time and Labor Management Association, the Workforce Educational Organization and the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia. Hoover is also the president of the Workforce Educational Organization, which has developed a national certification for workforce management professionals.
A friend he met as a freshman continues to be the company’s attorney. Michael’s wife, Laura, a former reporter and now freelance writer and public relations specialist, handles the company’s press releases. The company is looking forward to hiring college interns, especially students passionate about business and computer science from Penn State Abington, Hoover said.
“It was an exciting opportunity to be able to give feedback to students for their career concerns,” Hoover said about his experience at the Media vs. Reality panel. “All students had great questions to ask, and I was very happy to discover that the students at Penn State Abington were further along than I was at the time on my career path.”
Penn State Abington will always be a special place to him.
“I made countless friends at Penn State Abington, and carried those friendships to State College and through my life,” he said. “I wouldn’t have met such great people if it wasn’t for my start there.”
Be sure to follow Michael Hoover on
LinkedIn http://linkd.in/1EywwjR and on Twitter @michaelthoover.
By: Hinaa Noor
“The opportunity to get accepted to work at the Daily Collegian helped me explore my creative side,” said Hoover, who recently participated in a Media vs. Reality panel at Penn State Abington. “I got to capture interesting moments and be part of great experiences in the journalistic field.
”Hoover, who went on to graduate in 1999 with a degree in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology at the College of Liberal Arts, is now the president at his small but industrious company, ATR Systems. (www.atrsystems.com).
While he was a full-time student at Penn State, he started exploring web design while working in computer labs, which helped him with customer service and problem solving. He later managed to create his own business of web design and development. In his small private business, he helped small businesses brand themselves and develop an online presence.
Michael then started assisting his father in the Warminster, Pa.-based family business – aiding the company to adjust with the 21st century tech savvy system. As president, he leads business development and oversees the sales department of ATR Systems. He also helped the company roll out a very crucial cloud-based time-and-attendant platform; the latest feature they provide to their clients.
“This company helps clients save time, money and paper. We specialize in selling, implementing and supporting time and labor management solutions,” said Hoover, who is helping develop a national certification for the industry. “We automate time and attendance, which prevents fraud.”
ATR provides services to clients across the health care, manufacturing, nonprofit, education, hospitality, municipal and retail industries ranging from five to 5,000 employees. The company is a member of the Independent Time and Labor Management Association, the Workforce Educational Organization and the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia. Hoover is also the president of the Workforce Educational Organization, which has developed a national certification for workforce management professionals.
A friend he met as a freshman continues to be the company’s attorney. Michael’s wife, Laura, a former reporter and now freelance writer and public relations specialist, handles the company’s press releases. The company is looking forward to hiring college interns, especially students passionate about business and computer science from Penn State Abington, Hoover said.
“It was an exciting opportunity to be able to give feedback to students for their career concerns,” Hoover said about his experience at the Media vs. Reality panel. “All students had great questions to ask, and I was very happy to discover that the students at Penn State Abington were further along than I was at the time on my career path.”
Penn State Abington will always be a special place to him.
“I made countless friends at Penn State Abington, and carried those friendships to State College and through my life,” he said. “I wouldn’t have met such great people if it wasn’t for my start there.”
Be sure to follow Michael Hoover on
LinkedIn http://linkd.in/1EywwjR and on Twitter @michaelthoover.
By: Hinaa Noor