Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece, and welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living magazine. Today I have Katie Schuchman with me.
Katie Schuchman: Hi. Thank you for having me.
Toni: You are so welcome. Take a moment and tell us a little bit about yourself, Katie.
Katie: Well, like Toni said, my name is Katie Schuchman. I am a rising sophomore out at the University of Pittsburgh. I’m studying marketing, but I’m also earning a certificate in public and professional writing, so two things going on. I love them both. I’m a lifelong Berks County resident. I was born at the Reading Hospital, lived here my whole life. I’m over in Sinking Spring now, and I’m a graduate of Wilson High School. In the summer I am interning for Berks County Living, so I’m doing all sorts of stuff for them from social media posts to I’ve gotten to write a couple of things and have them published as well. That’s very exciting. I’ve been having a good summer, and this is just another thing to add to the list, so thanks for having me.
Toni: How exciting for you, right?
Katie: Yeah, it’s been really fun.
Toni: How exciting to be in Berks County and interning at Berks County Living magazine on top of everything else you’re doing. Alright, let’s go into the Project, okay?
Katie: Okay.
Toni: What does inspiration mean to you?
Katie: I think that inspiration can really come from anywhere. I have listened to a couple of these, and that seems to be a recurring theme. I think that the times I feel most inspired is when I’m collaborating with other people. I find a lot of inspiration from other people. I would say that I am a loud person. I like to take charge, but over the years I’ve really learned to take a step back, and leadership doesn’t have to be being the first person in the room to say something. I’ve learned to take a lot of inspiration from other people and their ideas and their approaches to situations, and how those might be a little bit different for me. For me, inspiration comes a lot from collaboration and from listening to other people’s ideas.
Toni: Do you know when it happens, when you’re inspired?
Katie: Yeah, I would think so. I was actually able to sit in on a meeting yesterday with Robyn Jones, the publisher of Berks County Living, with Nikki Murry as well, and it was really awesome to see that in their collaborative process together. I was just sitting there and listening to their ideas, and it was very cool to see all of that.
Toni: So you can actually see when it happens as far as other people being inspired?
Katie: Yeah. It was really cool. You could hear it in their feedback with each other, with Nikki and Robyn going back and forth. Robyn would say something and she would be like, “That’s a great idea, but what about this?” To see a small idea get built upon and grow into something else, I think that’s when you see the inspiration, and to take it from the first product to the end I think is really good.
Toni: And that inspires you.
Katie: Yes, definitely.
Toni: Absolutely. I love that. I don’t think very many people in these interviews have used collaboration as a touchstone for being inspired, so that’s cool.
Katie: Yeah.
Toni: Can you tell me, when you are inspired, when you’re witnessing this collaboration, how have you put that into practice here in Berks County?
Katie: Like I said, I’m a graduate of Wilson High School, and while I was there I had the wonderful opportunity to be on a lot of leadership teams for different philanthropic projects or different clubs and organizations, and through that, that was part of how I learned to listen to other people. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of a mini-thon, but it’s a 12-hour dance marathon. We really got to put that into practice. That was really cool. That was definitely something I was able to collaborate with my fellow captains on and take something that could have just been a dance marathon and ended up raising $63,000 ultimately.
Toni: Wow.
Katie: That project has kept going. It’s now an annual thing. They’re going into their fourth year. I think that’s a huge inspiration for me, and I’m so glad that I was able to be part of that project and several others, other volunteering that I did during high school. I think that was a huge part of what I’ve done here in Berks County.
Toni: That’s amazing, and the fact that it’s still going on. The first year you raised $63,000?
Katie: That was our second. The first year was around $20,000 so then we were able to bring it up to $60,000 in a year, which was quite amazing, and it was such an honor to be a part of that project and to work with the other students. I mean, it’s really student-run, so to be able to work with other students and be like, “Hey, we did this. We’re 16, 17, 18 years old and this is what we pulled off together.” I think that’s really, really cool. That’s something I’m still inspired about going into my sophomore year of college.
Toni: Katie, do you find yourself having to inspire others to collaborate with you?
Kate: I think that’s sometimes a struggle that you could face. Obviously, it’s really nice to get recognition for your own ideas and your own hard work, and that’s something that I’ve also had to learn over the years is that it’s so much better to share in a victory all together, I think. But yeah, it can be a little bit difficult to get people to see it the same way, but especially on a large project, once you’ve worked with other people and you can see how it makes an idea better to work with others, it’s totally worth it, and you never have to convince anybody again.
Toni: Fantastic. Who in Berks County inspires you?
Katie: I would say that my two people, other than my family of course, are Kristin Kramer, who works over at the Wilson School District. She does a lot of their public relations and that kind of stuff. Also, Robyn Jones. They have been incredible mentors for me, and really do serve as an inspiration. They’re two really influential women in our community, and they’ve allowed me to have a lot of creative freedom. They both took me on very young. I mean, I’m only 19 and I worked with Kristin my senior year of high school, and I’m working with Robyn now. They took a chance on me, and I so appreciate that. I think that everything that they’ve done, and they’ve worked for everything that they have, that’s really inspiring to me. I hope that I can make half the difference that they do now in my future.
Toni: That’s a pretty good testimonial to both of those women who are very collaborative in spirit and get a lot done, right?
Katie: Definitely.
Toni: I know you’re very young. This question could take on several meanings, but Katie, what would you like your legacy to be?
Katie: I would say that I hope to be able to mentor somebody the way that Kristin and Robyn have been able to do that for me. I hope to give somebody an opportunity and take a chance on them the way that they took a chance on me. I think if I could create some sort of opportunity for at least one other person if not many people, that would be an amazing legacy to leave, to give somebody else a chance when they might be young, they may not have that much experience, but I so appreciate that and I hope I could do that for somebody else.
Toni: That would be incredible, and I hope you hold on to that.
Katie: Me too.
Toni: I really, really do, and what I really liked about that is whether it’s providing an opportunity for one or many, it doesn’t matter, does it?
Katie: No. It makes a difference one way or another, and hopefully it can be a little bit larger, but if I can say I did it for at least one person, then that’s what counts.
Toni: Katie, thank goodness there are young people like you that are coming up in the world. That’s phenomenal. Thank you so much for being part of the Get Inspired! Project.
Katie: Thank you very much for having me.
Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece, and welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living magazine. Today I have Katie Schuchman with me.
Katie Schuchman: Hi. Thank you for having me.
Toni: You are so welcome. Take a moment and tell us a little bit about yourself, Katie.
Katie: Well, like Toni said, my name is Katie Schuchman. I am a rising sophomore out at the University of Pittsburgh. I’m studying marketing, but I’m also earning a certificate in public and professional writing, so two things going on. I love them both. I’m a lifelong Berks County resident. I was born at the Reading Hospital, lived here my whole life. I’m over in Sinking Spring now, and I’m a graduate of Wilson High School. In the summer I am interning for Berks County Living, so I’m doing all sorts of stuff for them from social media posts to I’ve gotten to write a couple of things and have them published as well. That’s very exciting. I’ve been having a good summer, and this is just another thing to add to the list, so thanks for having me.
Toni: How exciting for you, right?
Katie: Yeah, it’s been really fun.
Toni: How exciting to be in Berks County and interning at Berks County Living magazine on top of everything else you’re doing. Alright, let’s go into the Project, okay?
Katie: Okay.
Toni: What does inspiration mean to you?
Katie: I think that inspiration can really come from anywhere. I have listened to a couple of these, and that seems to be a recurring theme. I think that the times I feel most inspired is when I’m collaborating with other people. I find a lot of inspiration from other people. I would say that I am a loud person. I like to take charge, but over the years I’ve really learned to take a step back, and leadership doesn’t have to be being the first person in the room to say something. I’ve learned to take a lot of inspiration from other people and their ideas and their approaches to situations, and how those might be a little bit different for me. For me, inspiration comes a lot from collaboration and from listening to other people’s ideas.
Toni: Do you know when it happens, when you’re inspired?
Katie: Yeah, I would think so. I was actually able to sit in on a meeting yesterday with Robyn Jones, the publisher of Berks County Living, with Nikki Murry as well, and it was really awesome to see that in their collaborative process together. I was just sitting there and listening to their ideas, and it was very cool to see all of that.
Toni: So you can actually see when it happens as far as other people being inspired?
Katie: Yeah. It was really cool. You could hear it in their feedback with each other, with Nikki and Robyn going back and forth. Robyn would say something and she would be like, “That’s a great idea, but what about this?” To see a small idea get built upon and grow into something else, I think that’s when you see the inspiration, and to take it from the first product to the end I think is really good.
Toni: And that inspires you.
Katie: Yes, definitely.
Toni: Absolutely. I love that. I don’t think very many people in these interviews have used collaboration as a touchstone for being inspired, so that’s cool.
Katie: Yeah.
Toni: Can you tell me, when you are inspired, when you’re witnessing this collaboration, how have you put that into practice here in Berks County?
Katie: Like I said, I’m a graduate of Wilson High School, and while I was there I had the wonderful opportunity to be on a lot of leadership teams for different philanthropic projects or different clubs and organizations, and through that, that was part of how I learned to listen to other people. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of a mini-thon, but it’s a 12-hour dance marathon. We really got to put that into practice. That was really cool. That was definitely something I was able to collaborate with my fellow captains on and take something that could have just been a dance marathon and ended up raising $63,000 ultimately.
Toni: Wow.
Katie: That project has kept going. It’s now an annual thing. They’re going into their fourth year. I think that’s a huge inspiration for me, and I’m so glad that I was able to be part of that project and several others, other volunteering that I did during high school. I think that was a huge part of what I’ve done here in Berks County.
Toni: That’s amazing, and the fact that it’s still going on. The first year you raised $63,000?
Katie: That was our second. The first year was around $20,000 so then we were able to bring it up to $60,000 in a year, which was quite amazing, and it was such an honor to be a part of that project and to work with the other students. I mean, it’s really student-run, so to be able to work with other students and be like, “Hey, we did this. We’re 16, 17, 18 years old and this is what we pulled off together.” I think that’s really, really cool. That’s something I’m still inspired about going into my sophomore year of college.
Toni: Katie, do you find yourself having to inspire others to collaborate with you?
Kate: I think that’s sometimes a struggle that you could face. Obviously, it’s really nice to get recognition for your own ideas and your own hard work, and that’s something that I’ve also had to learn over the years is that it’s so much better to share in a victory all together, I think. But yeah, it can be a little bit difficult to get people to see it the same way, but especially on a large project, once you’ve worked with other people and you can see how it makes an idea better to work with others, it’s totally worth it, and you never have to convince anybody again.
Toni: Fantastic. Who in Berks County inspires you?
Katie: I would say that my two people, other than my family of course, are Kristin Kramer, who works over at the Wilson School District. She does a lot of their public relations and that kind of stuff. Also, Robyn Jones. They have been incredible mentors for me, and really do serve as an inspiration. They’re two really influential women in our community, and they’ve allowed me to have a lot of creative freedom. They both took me on very young. I mean, I’m only 19 and I worked with Kristin my senior year of high school, and I’m working with Robyn now. They took a chance on me, and I so appreciate that. I think that everything that they’ve done, and they’ve worked for everything that they have, that’s really inspiring to me. I hope that I can make half the difference that they do now in my future.
Toni: That’s a pretty good testimonial to both of those women who are very collaborative in spirit and get a lot done, right?
Katie: Definitely.
Toni: I know you’re very young. This question could take on several meanings, but Katie, what would you like your legacy to be?
Katie: I would say that I hope to be able to mentor somebody the way that Kristin and Robyn have been able to do that for me. I hope to give somebody an opportunity and take a chance on them the way that they took a chance on me. I think if I could create some sort of opportunity for at least one other person if not many people, that would be an amazing legacy to leave, to give somebody else a chance when they might be young, they may not have that much experience, but I so appreciate that and I hope I could do that for somebody else.
Toni: That would be incredible, and I hope you hold on to that.
Katie: Me too.
Toni: I really, really do, and what I really liked about that is whether it’s providing an opportunity for one or many, it doesn’t matter, does it?
Katie: No. It makes a difference one way or another, and hopefully it can be a little bit larger, but if I can say I did it for at least one person, then that’s what counts.
Toni: Katie, thank goodness there are young people like you that are coming up in the world. That’s phenomenal. Thank you so much for being part of the Get Inspired! Project.
Katie: Thank you very much for having me.
