Tell us about yourself.
Hello! My name is Taylor Pasquarelli and I am from Pittsburgh. I grew up in Cranberry Township and made the City of Pittsburgh my home when I attended Duquesne University to pursue my undergraduate degree. Once I graduated in 2018, I utilized my degree to take on many interesting jobs in our beautiful City. I worked for the Pittsburgh City Paper for a year and while doing that I developed a part time passion for event planning! I have worked with multiple companies around Pittsburgh as well as partnered with other event planners in the area. After my year at the City Paper I decided to take my passion for event planning to sea, and I became a Cruise Director for American Cruise Lines. While aboard I learned that I loved developing and maintaining relationships with our guests. Not long after, I accepted an account management position with Coca Cola, where I would continue to build and maintain relationships with our clients. Through the MBA-SBP program, my goal is to learn how to run a successful sustainable business. Owning my own business has always been a dream of mine and I believe that this program will give me the tools to finally reach my goal!
What is one of your favorite things to do in Pittsburgh?
My favorite thing to do in Pittsburgh is to walk around the City and discover new coffee shops, restaurants, yoga studios, gyms, etc. I am a very social person and I enjoy finding places to go and things to do with friends and family!
If you could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance at winning a medal for?
If I could turn anything into an Olympic sport, it would be organization. Nothing makes me happier than a well-organized pantry, closet, binder, event, you get where I am going with this.
What skill would you like to master?
The skill that I would like to master regarding my career is project management. I have a passion for working and I like to have as many projects on my plate as possible. Sometimes this leads to stress, but I always manage to pull through with a smile! Personally, speaking of plates and stress, I would really love to master the skill of cooking!
What could you give a 30-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?
I could give a 30-minute presentation on how important it is to be prepared, without any preparation at all. I am always a person with a plan, however, during my time as a Cruise Director I was completely unaware of just how unpredictable the industry was and how many plans you need in order to be fully prepared. And it wasn’t until I was in charge of finding last minute transporting for 400 guests to and from an excursion, due to weather complications, that I realized that preparation is one of the biggest keys to success and happy customers!
Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?
The most interesting place that I have been to is a small town in Italy called Pizzoferrato. This is the town where my parents lived before, they moved to America. I had grown up hearing stories and seeing pictures of it, it was a completely magical experience going to see it! I got to see where my grandparents, great grandparents, and my own parents lived, I met family that I had only talked to on the phone, and of course I had some of the best pasta I have ever tasted.
One-Year MBA 