“It’s hard to find a balance between communal and individual living, especially in your post-college years. Especially in a group setting like PULSE, there are a lot of opportunities for FOMO (fear of missing out), but I’m also at a time in my life when I need to make a lot of personal decisions for myself. I am learning when to push myself to be more involved in group activities and when I need to take time to myself for self-care. I’m learning that I need and enjoy the PULSE community’s support. I really value the individual relationships and friendships I’ve made, and it helps to always have people to talk things through with. ” – Lily Rybarczyk
Lily Rybarczyk, originally from Monroe, Washington, graduated from Franklin University in Switzerland with majors in Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies and French. She traveled extensively as part of her studies, visiting Oman, Malawi, Morocco, Scotland, Iceland, and the countries of the Former Yugoslavia, to name a few. She had the opportunity to study everything from sustainable agriculture to local musical and artistic traditions along the way. After college, Lily worked with several organizations, including PROVAIL, which provides employment opportunities, education, and programming for disabled children and adults, and The World Is Fun, a nonprofit that pairs volunteers with organizations for events and projects in the Seattle area to serve communities in need. She is serving at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Rebecca Marcucci: What has been the most valuable part of the PULSE experience so far?
Lily Rybarczyk: The most valuable part has been living in community. Living with my three housemates has taught me a lot about compassion, caring, reliance…and patience. All of the different perspectives have brought our house together.
The greater PULSE community is also a great support structure. We are all at similar points in our life but on different paths, and it’s incredible to be able to share our experiences, grow (and occasionally commiserate) together.
Rebecca: Tell me something you are learning about yourself through PULSE.
Lily: It’s hard to find a balance between communal and individual living, especially in your post-college years. Especially in a group setting like PULSE, there are a lot of opportunities for FOMO (fear of missing out), but I’m also at a time in my life when I need to make a lot of personal decisions for myself. I am learning when to push myself to be more involved in group activities and when I need to take time to myself for self-care. I’m learning that I need and enjoy the PULSE community’s support. I really value the individual relationships and friendships I’ve made, and it helps to always have people to talk things through with.
Rebecca: What do you enjoy most about your nonprofit partnership?
Lily: I enjoy working with the arts and seeing the variety of ways in which it impacts people and the city overall. The Cultural Trust has had a huge impact on Pittsburgh; it has been the driving force behind a lot of the economic growth downtown. It has been an incredible learning experience to see how art can tangibly impact other sectors.
Rebecca: What surprised you most about Pittsburgh?
Lily: The city pride! I expected a lot of Steelers, Penguins and Pirates pride, but Pittsburghers are really passionate about their city! A lot of people I talk to have been born and raised here, they are excited about the work being done here in Pittsburgh and the direction the city is headed in.
Rebecca: What is your favorite ‘family meal” recipe for the hosue?
Lily: I love brinner! Ben makes great arepas, too. I can’t think of a meal we’ve had as a family that I haven’t liked. We’ve also budgeted to order out a couple of times, which is really fun and special.
Story by PULSE Participant Rebecca Marcucci.
Read more Participant Stories from Fellows about their experience in PULSE. If you would like to learn more about the PULSE program, please visit our Serve with Us page.
Also, check out other Stories of Transformation: