Q&A with Jonathan Gerweck '23

Why did you choose to attend Pace?

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I chose Pace because it was a perfect balance of everything I liked about a New York/city college, had a unique, diverse student body and staff, and made clear efforts to provide attention to each and every student, something I didn’t feel I received back in high school or in my hometown in Pennsylvania. When I was lucky enough to be accepted into the Pforzheimer Honors College, it became a no-brainer that Pace was the right choice.

What is it about your dual majors in Communication Studies and Language, Culture, and World Trade that interests you?

I think that communications, paired with a language/internationally based major, is a perfect combination that has relevance in any professional setting. I find communications interesting because we use communications and media studies every day of our lives. Learning efficient communication strategies alongside Pace’s various language programs is a match made in heaven for me.

What have your experiences been like with the departments of your majors?

Each and every Communication Studies professor I have taken a class with has been a pleasure to interact with, and as a sophomore, I’ve already taken various classes with professors Marcella Szablewicz and Adam Klein. In terms of my other major, professor Antonia Garcia-Rodriguez has been life-changing in my educational and professional development. Both in teaching me Spanish, and in her passion for the language, I’ve been inspired to become fluent to the point where I’ve already used my language skills in an internship, and an urge has been sparked in me to visit Latin America as soon as possible.

Learning efficient communication strategies alongside Pace’s various language programs is a match made in heaven for me.

What internships have you participated in as a student?

I was a part of Pace’s New York Recovery Internship last summer. It was an unbelievable experience that allowed traditionally unpaid internships with nonprofits to be funded via Pace’s donors in a time as uncertain as the current period with the pandemic. I worked with New York Disaster Interfaith Services and its fantastic, bilingual team that helped fund underprivileged New Yorkers who were negatively impacted by COVID-19, whether that means they became sick, lost their job, or experienced another emergency. I was lucky enough to speak Spanish and receive college credit for this internship, and it was incredibly rewarding to be able to remotely provide for the city of New York and its people.

What other activities have you been involved with?

I have participated in Pace’s International Buddy Program, in which we partner with incoming international students and help them navigate university and city life. I have met some great people through this program. Other than that, I had the pleasure of being vice president of Pace’s Residence Hall Association, representing the student body who live on campus. I’m also excited to be a recipient of the Watson Fellowship, which will grant me three incoming summer internships: one in New York, and two abroad. I am excited for the future to come!

What would you like to do upon graduation/what are your career goals?

I am still not sure exactly what I should do after graduation, but I know I love traveling and speaking foreign languages, and feel passionate about the immigrant community in New York and our country. I have thought about immigration law, translation, or writing as possible career paths. Something tells me I’m likely to combine them all at some point in my future career!

What advice, if any, would you like to give to our current students?

I must first acknowledge each and every person’s effort in pursuing an education in such a difficult, remote climate that doesn’t allot for much social interaction or movement, which is the antithesis to a New York City education. I would encourage them to look towards the future and try to pursue the various programs that Pace offers, and just apply for whatever sounds interesting and go for it. You can plan and plan, but the best things in life, in my experience, come unannounced, and you’ll never know what could happen if you don’t try.