Chris Church and Daniel David Join Penn Interactive

Two of Hopeworks young professionals —Chris Church and Daniel David —have been hired by Penn Interactive, an interactive gaming company headquartered in Philadelphia. They have landed permanent, full-time jobs as player experience specialists.

For Chris, who most recently served Hopeworks as the training room intern, the Penn Interactive job provides a nice increase in salary and the financial wherewithal to achieve his goal to get a place of his own. Chris will be returning to Rutgers University in the Fall to finish his bachelor’s degree in English. Chris came to Hopeworks after working for Amazon, and realizing that’s not what he wanted to do with his life.

“Chris is very into sports and writing,” says his career coach, Fred Harris. “Those are his two favorite things. So when I saw this job, I thought ‘This is perfect for him!’” 

Chris agrees. “I love sports!” Although he will be based in the company’s Cherry Hill office, he will be assisting clients from around the country by solving customer problems. That will draw on three of his strengths: excellent people skills, good communication skills, and a sharp intellect.

Chris will certainly have a busy fall. Besides juggling full-time work and a few classes at Rutgers University, he plans to continue his Linux training at Hopeworks.”I received a great deal from my time at Hopeworks,” says Chris. “I gained tech experience, created a portfolio of my work, and sharpened my professional skills. I learned that it’s okay to not be perfect, and also that everyone needs help sometimes. But along with everything I learned, I also met many people who were truly kind and willing to support me. I am very thankful for my experience at Hopeworks.”   

Daniel David is also excited about working for Penn Interactive. He loves that the job will bring “interaction with gamers and people who are passionate about sports and sports betting,” he says. “I love talking to people and learning about their backgrounds.”

For Daniel, the job at Penn Interactive offers a step-up into a permanent position with a consistent paycheck. Daniel, a rising senior at Rutgers University, with a triple major in French, Political Science, and Global Studies, has been bringing in extra cash by working sporadically for Grubhub and DoorDash, while juggling seven classes this past semester at Rutgers. He is also a GIS intern at present.

  “This job will give Daniel the opportunity to work on his public speaking skills, which I know are important to him,” says Tina Anino, Daniel’s career coach. “Daniel is just amazing. He’s so goal-oriented. He excels at time management. He’s always striving to do better. People, in general, can have a lot of goals but Daniel is actively working on making them happen. That’s what I admire about him.”

Daniel, in fact, has already explored with Penn Interactive the possibility for additional on-the-job training, such as in marketing. He and the company have also discussed the possibility of positioning him for a role on Penn Interactive’s government relations/government compliance team. That’s very much in keeping with his major in political science.  

Penn Interactive, the digital arm of Penn National Gaming, a national company, is fortunate to have these two. We wish them each the very best!