This fall ImpactED welcomed their newest team member! We’re excited to introduce our new Program Coordinator, Nate McManus.
Tell us a little bit about your background. Where are you from and what led you to your job at ImpactED?
I come to ImpactED from the University of Pennsylvania’s Residential & Hospitality Services. As a newly created position, I will be developing program communications, managing our social media and blog, and will coordinate the recruitment process and training logistics for all in-person & virtual events. I bring a vast amount of experience working in higher education where I’ve supported event coordination and oversaw building operations.
Where are you from and what led you to your role at ImpactED?
I was born in North Philadelphia but was raised most of my childhood in the Delaware County area (Glenolden to be specific)! I feel fortunate to have heard about ImpactED during my time working at UPenn these past few years. Their mission and values align with my own and the idea of working at ImpactED truly spoke to me. As an undergraduate at Guilford college in Greensboro, NC, my scholarship consisted of a community service program where I would work closely with nonprofits and smaller organizations. Considering how I can continue to contribute to these spaces and more meaningful work is really what encouraged me to apply and I am so grateful to have this opportunity!
What are you most excited about as it pertains to your role as Program Coordinator at ImpactED? What do you hope to achieve?
Coming from my previous few positions where I was often the main point of contact for various projects, I am excited to work in a more collaborative effort while at ImpactED. So far, not only has it been a nice change of pace, but the opportunity to work with various team members here has been quite rewarding! This role has been a welcomed shift in my career and I hope that during my time at ImpactED, I can gain more relevant experience while supporting organizations who are working towards social change.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I love going to music venues, new restaurants, and various festivals in the area! Some of my passions are vinyl record collecting, Philadelphia sports, and biking around the city whenever I have the chance.
What's your favorite quote or saying at the moment?
One quote I often remind myself is from the legendary poet Maya Angelou: “Do the best you can do until you know better. Then when you know better, do better”. It’s something I read from time to time to stay grounded & remind myself that it’s okay to not have all the answers at once!
If you could have dinner with anyone (living or not), who would it be and why?
I would use this dinner as an opportunity to meet one of my favorite musicians of all time, Stevie Wonder. Not only do I find him extremely interesting and a wonderful dinner guest, but I would never run out of questions to ask. I have always admired his vocal range, song writing, production, and longevity in the music industry!
