Kelsey Muchnok

I'm actually not really sure, but I think the best thing I can attribute to is adapting my organizational skills and my ability to talk to people. I really attribute a lot of what I do to just being able to talk to people, and even though I have a good grasp on talking and sitting down with someone one-on-one, I'm constantly growing in how I want to adapt my communication to help others. Even in my work as a nonprofit beforehand or in a freelance role, I always took what their mission was personally, because this is something that they did every day. If I'm going to speak for them, then I need to know how to adapt to it.

The best career advice I've ever received is just taking a beat and really listening, and realizing that everything that you're doing now is the best you could do until you know how to do better. We're constantly meeting expectations to what your expectations are, but it doesn't mean that you have to keep racing towards the finish line. It's the whole process that's the encouraging part. I literally can't say I'm doing the same things this month as I was doing 3 months ago because I'm constantly learning new things. Also, one quote that stood out to me, someone told me once that change doesn't happen in a day, and it takes more than just one person to achieve it.

Right now, I don't feel like I'm wise enough to give advice just yet, and I think that's the biggest thing - everything that you're learning can apply to make yourself better, and it doesn't mean you have to do everything on your own. Having a wonderful support system makes a world of difference, even if it's someone who you didn't even expect to be influential for you. It's still going to give you the best advice for yourself, to be able to think about someone else's perspective, what someone would be in your shoes, and what you would feel in their shoes.

I think the biggest challenge is just keeping up with everything that's going on with both departments. We were constantly growing - my position has changed ever since I walked into the door because there was just a field of things that we had so many faculty who are just so grateful that we took over Pitt Communications and constantly grew from revamping their websites to having a better social media presence to being able for someone to hear about their idea that they want to do. All of our faculty are doing so much incredible work that it's just more of wanting to continually grow with them as they're heading into the directions they're going.

When I started in documentary work and working with nonprofits, it was really encouraging because they were just a group of individuals that have dedicated themselves to change someone's life for the better. I feel like I have known so many people in this position that I'm just always encouraged by people who want to continue their work. We have faculty, doctors, clinicians, and researchers who are literally dedicating their entire lives just to make sure that they can't tell a patient there's nothing they can do for them. It's giving someone, making someone's life for the better, and I really value that. I met so many people who've dedicated themselves to help others, and when I'm working in any nonprofit, I feel like I'm trying to help unload some of the burden off their shoulders so they can get to their work. It's really fun being part of that. Teamwork is also really important to me. I don't know where I would be without the team I'm working with. I feel like I'm constantly learning with the people I'm with, and I just know how much information that we try to accomplish all the time, and I wouldn't be able to do it without the team that I have. I really do value being part of a team.