“I’m learning how important it is to take care of myself, because if I don’t it has consequences on others. Also that developing community takes a lot of personal time investment that does not initially seem important but has long term effects.” – Perm Longia
Permveer Longia moved to Pittsburgh from Mechanicsburg, PA, to study Neuroscience and Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh. He was very involved on campus at Pitt, serving as the president of theSouth Asian Student Association, mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters, volunteering in the Hospital Elderly Life Program at UPMC, and earning multiple awards for commitment to diversity, outstanding achievement, and more. Permveer loves serving in a Pittsburgh nonprofit and living in community with other PULSE fellows. He is serving at the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh.
Kevin Fernando: What do you enjoy most about your nonprofit partnership?
Perm Longia: I enjoy meeting people from a very wide range of backgrounds that I’d never been able to interact with before and might not have if I hadn’t started working there. With that comes a lot of insight into perspectives that I’m really glad I’m receiving.
Kevin: Tell me something you are learning about yourself through PULSE.
Perm: I’m learning how important it is to take care of myself, because if I don’t it has consequences on others. Also that developing community takes a lot of personal time investment that does not initially seem important but has long term effects.
Kevin: What is the most interesting/fun adventure you’ve had in Pittsburgh so far?
Perm: Retreat. Parts of retreat were the best, especially watching the sunset and stargazing. Retreat in general was very relaxing and fun because we could all focus on each other and we didn’t have any distractions. Afterwards some of us went to Ohiopyle and it was nuts!
Kevin: What has been your favorite “family meal” recipe?
Perm: They were all so good that I can’t choose a favorite.
Kevin: What has been the most valuable part of the PULSE experience so far?
Perm: The most valuable part has been constantly learning about many important things that will shape my future as a servant leader. I’m gaining self-knowledge and great insight on how to generate community while also being challenged on how I think about making an impact.
Story by PULSE Participant Kevin Fernando.
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: