Penny Kudlak is a Traditional 2028 Goodnight Scholar, majoring in Textile Technology with a concentration in Operations and Supply Chain Management, and a minor in Business Administration. 

She is intrigued by the business aspect in textiles, which is driven by Penny’s commitment to improve sustainability by working alongside companies. 

This May, Penny will venture to Iceland, a global leader in sustainability, on the Traditional Goodnight Mayventure trip. 

“I applied to go on the Iceland trip specifically because I want to observe how sustainability is in Iceland,” Penny said. “I was selected to go so I’m really excited to further my education on sustainability in a different country, and relate that back to everything I do at NC State.”

While Penny is studying Textiles at NC State, it is fair to say that her interest in textiles influences her lifestyle in other ways. In early 2025 Penny started her own Etsy store, Pieces by Penny, where she sells her crochet projects. 

“I love to make things, and I can’t keep it all – it has to go somewhere. So I thought why not make a little brand?,” Penny said. “I love the idea of someone buying something that I make and then using and loving it, I love to give people that piece of me.”

The wisdom she gains through her classes at NC State are pushing her even farther as an entrepreneur  – equipping her with deeper curiosity and insight in her field. 

“Having the extra knowledge of the fibers that I’m working with allows me to pick what I’m doing for each project,” Penny said. “My favorite thing to crochet is these farmers market bags, and I use 100% cotton yarn, because it is the most durable and it absorbs water pretty well. If you have produce in it, you can throw it in the wash and it’s completely fine afterwards.”

This past summer, Penny had the opportunity to do research in an area of textiles that she had never thought to get involved with: Medical textiles. 

“I was doing medical research on the production of medical textile scaffolds, how the different diameters of the fibers in scaffolds affect the cell culturing, how the cells will grow on the scaffold, and whether the diameter affects their growth rate,” Penny explained.

From this experience, Penny not only gained knowledge and broadened her expertise, but she also learned a lot about herself and her professional goals in the future. 

In terms of her future, Penny noted that she can’t narrow it down into specific jobs and careers just yet, because there’s just so many diverse paths she could take. She plans to go to graduate school after completing her undergraduate degree, and from there she aims to have a job that permits her to travel. She mentioned that since she wants to pursue sustainability, traveling would allow her to experience sustainability in a plethora of different ways. 

“I would love to work for a smaller company, not a huge corporation, specifically on improving sustainability through processes in production, or through actual fiber science,” Penny said. “That’s really my dream job, because I’m not only helping the company, but I’m helping the environment.”