The Art of Busy

"Busy is good,” says Sunny Shenkman ’25, a Communications and Media Studies major and double minor in graphic design and art. “You’re locked in, and schoolwork becomes easier when you have so much stuff to do.”

And Sunny certainly has a lot to do.

Sunny is the president and editor-in-chief of Pace’s imprint fashion publication Fusion Magazine, as well as the leader of Fusion’s graphic design committee. They’re the director of the Test Print Pop-Up Shop, a rogue art tradition at Pace where students can buy and sell handmade items. They also work as a programming assistant for Pace’s LGBTQA+ Center and as a journalism intern for Brown Eyez Co. They’re also working on illustrations for a children’s book series! And that’s just outside of the classroom.

I feel like sometimes in New York, you have to do everything.

Sunny’s set to graduate this spring and during their time at Pace they’ve learned how to find the balance in the busy. “There are things I just won’t compromise,” they explain. “I have a really big social life and that’s really important to me. But so is getting nine hours of sleep.” They also insist upon prioritizing their health. “You hate that people say it over and over but it’s right: take your vitamins!”

When it comes to the work you want to do, Sunny says it’s about knowing what to sacrifice, and what to hold dear. “I like keeping some things sacred,” Sunny explains. “It's just a negotiation. What is the most important and what can I delegate? Learning how to give up stuff a little bit has been really big for me.”

Sometimes, Pace feels impossible because it seems like everyone has these amazing jobs.

These skills are important for Sunny, especially as they approach graduation and prepare to enter the creative industry, a field that demands adaptability. “What does being a creative even mean?” Sunny says. “I feel like sometimes in New York, you have to do everything. You have to be a photographer and a designer, a leader, an organizer. All these things. And you have to be good at every single one.”

Sunny’s also learned you can’t just stop at trying to learn everything, you also have to show it off. “Sometimes, Pace feels impossible because it seems like everyone has these amazing jobs,” says Sunny. They share how intimidating it can be to see peers sharing their successes and how they’ve learned to tackle that by sharing their own. “Don’t be afraid to be a LinkedIn warrior. One day, I had this switch where I started posting everything I do on LinkedIn because I kept seeing all these amazing things people were doing and wanted to show what I was doing too.”

I like keeping some things sacred. It's just a negotiation.

Finally, Sunny has learned to embrace support. “I really respect Pace’s administration.” Sunny explains how Pace staff—with special shout outs to Todd Smith-Bergollo, senior associate dean for students and Janice Hilbrink, director of endowed scholarships—have shaped their journey in meaningful ways and helped them get to where they are today. “They’ve really come through for me and I won’t forget that moving forward.”

Sunny has made the most of their time at Pace—and they’re just getting started. They’ve learned to balance their schedule and embrace their successes. As they prepare to graduate, their experiences at Pace have set them up to take on whatever comes next.

But first? Maybe a well-earned nap.