Stop and Smell the Roses
By Greg WoodmanReprinted from 1988 Football Preview What are the distinct geographical boundaries of the area called Happy Valley? Is it just the Penn State campus, Beaver Stadium, College Avenue, and five bars with lots of memories? If the area is growing as much as it appears, will Happy Valley soon be called “Big Valley” […]
Why Stories—and “Happy Valley”—Stick: What Neuroscience Teaches Us About Branding a Region
In business, leadership, and community development, we spend enormous energy crafting data-driven plans, economic forecasts, and strategic reports. But here’s the truth:
It’s not the data that moves people. It’s the story.
The Local Giant: How Don Hamer Built Big Without Leaving Happy Valley
In a world where success is often measured by how far you can go, Don Hamer proved that greatness could be built by staying right where you are.
Leading with Love: The Quiet Power of Nonprofits Like the Centre County Youth Service Bureau
The call came one fall morning—unexpected, somber, and deeply telling. A young adult who had once stayed in a safe shelter run by the Centre County Youth Service Bureau (YSB) had passed away. Though years had gone by, first responders identified YSB as the last known support in his life. What happened next revealed exactly what it means to lead with love.
Built on Love: A Blueprint for Growing Your Business Without Losing Its Heart
In a world where fear often pays off—and efficiency is rewarded—it takes a different kind of entrepreneur to build with love.
But that’s exactly what’s happening in Pine Grove Mills, Pennsylvania.
Not through national franchises or outside capital. But through wild-eyed local founders who, at first glance, might seem like dreamers—but who are quietly transforming their town through vision, grit, and deep devotion to people and place.
From Laughter to Leadership: How XL Fest Became a Blueprint for Belonging
What does it look like to grow something real—without losing the reason you started?
For James Tierney, co-founder of Happy Valley Improv, the answer came to life during XL Fest 2024. Eighty-one improvisers from across the country came to Central Pennsylvania expecting laughs. What they found instead was something deeper: hospitality that felt intentional, experiences that felt personal, and a weekend that felt more like a family reunion than a performance schedule.
Penn State Alumni Developers Lead Downtown State College’s Most Ambitious Real Estate Project
Downtown State College is transforming—and at the forefront is a visionary project shaped by those who know Happy Valley best: Penn State alumni.
Introducing The Nittany Residence Club, a luxurious nine-story condominium-hotel now rising at 321 West Beaver Avenue. Designed by Penn Staters, for Penn Staters, this development blends high-end living with deep community roots—and offers a glimpse of the next chapter for one of the most iconic college towns in America.
Think You Know State College? Think Again.
Walk through the doors of Discovery Space, and you’re instantly met with a scene that stops you in your tracks: kids laughing, learning, building, and experimenting — fully immersed in the joy of discovery.
The Heart of the Community: The Nonprofit Sector’s Role in Connection and Resilience
Graduation is here, summer is near, and the Oregon game may be months away, September 27—but this is the White Out moment for the heart of our community.
Next week is Centre Gives, and if you are wondering what really holds a place like Happy Valley together—it’s not just football or fall foliage. It’s the nonprofit sector.
