Tara and Ron Banerjee live in State College and are proud Penn State parents who have supported their two sons through their time at the university. However, when their children graduated, their role as parents to college students didn’t stop. It continued and grew into something much bigger.

Behind an excited college student moving away from home are anxious parents who can’t always be there for birthdays, illnesses, major milestones, or moments when their child needs them the most. 

Navigating college alone can be tricky and sometimes scary. But have no fear, mindyKNOWS Penn State is here. 

In 2019, Mindy Horwitz founded mindyKNOWS to provide support to college students living away from their families. As a concierge service, the business serves parents by delivering a variety of care packages to their student and other types of assistance. At campuses across the country, mindyKNOWS has hired local parents to act as their campus’ Mindy and be a friendly face to students.

The Banerjees became Penn State’s Mindy in 2024 after seeing a news segment about mindyKNOWS. When they heard Horwitz’s story, they immediately knew that they wanted to take on this responsibility. 

“We want to try to be, you know, that helpful extra mom and dad in State College that can help students with whatever they need,” Tara Banerjee said. “We want to put parents’ minds at ease as well, because we know a lot of Penn State parents send their students away from home.”

Since becoming the Mindy on campus, the Banerjees receive text messages, phone calls, and emails from parents, asking questions and making requests for deliveries. Whether it’s a birthday care package, the Comfort Care Package for when a student’s sick, or more personal requests, the Banerjees are there to make college life a bit simpler.

For every delivery, the couple takes a photo of the student with their care package and sends it to their parents. While every delivery is special, some moments in particular have stuck with them. 

One day, a mother contacted the Banerjees asking if they could help her with a special surprise for her daughter’s birthday. The parent explained that they have a lot of dogs at home, and she knew that her daughter was missing them. So, she overnighted dog-shaped balloons to the Banerjees’ home and asked if they could fill them with helium. Of course, they said yes.  

“That was really cute,” Tara Banerjee said. “It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that we’re putting a smile on someone’s face.” 

For nearly two years, the Banerjees have found ways to help students navigate college and balance their daily lives. Throughout their experiences, they said their favorite thing about being Penn State’s Mindy is getting to make connections with the parents and students. 

“I love it. I love being useful. I light up when I’m working with college students and I just think that’s the part I have always enjoyed — having that connection,” Ron Banerjee said. 

In the beginning, the Banerjees received several orders within a year from a woman living in Southern California who wanted to send packages to her daughter. This past September, Tara went to California for a conference and messaged the mother, letting her know where she was. Moments later, they discovered that they were 15 minutes away from each other and decided to meet up in the afternoon before Tara Banerjee had to leave.

“It was wonderful,” Tara Banerjee said. “It was great getting to meet one of our parents in person who lives so far away.”

In addition to their work as Penn State’s Mindy, the Banerjees host international students at their Airbnb every August. When international students arrive on campus early for orientation, Tara Banerjee said they are often visiting the United States for the first time and need some assistance. To help guide them, the Banerjees pick them up from the airport, take them grocery shopping, help them set up bank accounts, and get bus passes. 

“We just know how comforting it can be when there’s someone local who can help with something that is needed. So that’s what we want to try to be,” Tara Banerjee said. “We just want to make them feel comfortable and know that they can count on us if they ever need anything.”

For those interested in learning more about mindyKNOWS and using their services, visit their website, social media pages, or contact them at (814) 933-8300.