A Word of Advice from Experienced Leaders

As we are settling into our work placements, the Fellows have had the privilege of being poured into by business leaders who have been sharing their experiences and knowledge of business and life. Just recently, David Crosby, PF Alumni Class of 2010, spoke at our Tuesday Business Roundtable, answering all of our questions and sharing excellent advice regarding business and corporate environments.

A specific topic and word of advice particularly stood out to me. It stood out to me because my own boss had given me the same word of advice at my job - just a few days before. If multiple experienced and knowledgeable people are giving the same word of advice, it is best to pay attention and take it to heart. Both David and my boss emphasized the importance of becoming someone who offers value to others.  To become this person, we have to be curious. They encouraged me to engage with everyone I interact with and to learn about their roles and how they apply to the work we do. We can build our own experiences and knowledge by actively seeking out and meeting new people and being open to learning new things.

Throughout the year, we will be meeting with lots of very intelligent and experienced business leaders and mentors throughout the year, and I am eager to learn from them and put their words of advice into practice.

-Written by Oliver Schwarz, Class of 2026

Oliver attended Grove City College and is working at PGT Trucking as a Pittsburgh Fellow.