Where Are They Now?

Where are Catasauqua alumni now that they have graduated? The Brown and White reached out to various Catty graduates to find out.

Click here to see previously featured alumni

Interviewed by Hannah Kurczeski, Activities Editor

What job do you currently hold?

I'm lucky enough that I get to do a bunch of things. The most generic term is “Creative Entertainment.” I'm a writer/producer/editor for media networks and brands. Some of my clients have been ABC Disney, Amazon, A&E, Comedy Central, MTV, Youtube, Hulu, Sony, Lifetime, Lionsgate, etc. I work primarily in marketing and develop campaigns for the networks and help build their brands. I also get to write and film content for commercials or media campaigns with celebrities, bands, influencers, artists, etc.

When I'm not doing this, I also have been doing Comedy for over 10 years. I have been featured on Sirius XM, FunnyORdie, and I worked on The Jim Jefferies Show and The Next Level with Kevin Hart as well as being a contributing joke writer for Comedy Roasts and The Critics Choice Awards promo campaign. I've released two comedy albums and both went to #1 in iTunes as well as being part of the Amazon Prime Video catalog.

For an example of my portfolio, you can go to www.CelonaPost.com To this day, I still cannot spell. I got kicked out of Honors English for plagiarizing (Sorry Mr. Post), and my grammar isn't always correct. So if you are in a similar boat or feel inadequate in your abilities....U TWO CAN BEE A RIGHTER! (joking!)

What field were you planning on going into when you left high school, and how have your plans changed since then?

I knew since elementary school that I wanted to work in this sort of creative entertainment environment. Mr. Abbot (elementary), Mr. Galm (middle) and Mr. Schaffer (high school) were patient enough with me to help me build my skills and use the equipment. I was not an easy student, so I often look back and appreciate their time and expertise.

During high school I would take film classes at University of the Arts in Philly on the weekends. I also interned with local production companies and would accompany them on shoots and music events. Once I got into college, I realized that I already had an advantage and that helped snowball into momentum after graduation as well. The only thing that has changed is the locations. I started in smaller markets in PA and eventually moved to Philadelphia. Then I gained more experience and connections and finally moved to New York to be in a bigger market with greater opportunity.

What was one thing that was the most memorable about Catty?

Catty is a small, tight-knit community. I loved it there. Everyone is a giant family. I don't think people realize how special the community can be until you leave it. You attend any event in Catty and everyone from the town was there. It may be because I was just a kid, but it seemed like everyone was at every event.

I also remember having a lot of fun times in school. I was allowed to be creative and use my skill set to do some fun stuff, whether it be a video aspect to a project or presenting in a fun way. The fact that Catty was such a small school allowed me to compete in wrestling, track, drama club, etc. I wasn't particularly good at any of those things but it was fun and a great learning experience. I also was able to participate in yearbook by taking photos and building pages.

Some of my greatest memories come from participating in Spirit Week (Ask Mrs. Sziy if I was a cute Spice Girl). I may not have had the best grades and I often was in the principal's office or washing the Dean of Students’ car as a punishment, but I found teachers that really helped guide me to become the person I am today. My greatest memory continues to this day because I'm still close with certain teachers and people from my grade are like family.

Any advice for current Catty students?

"Do what you need to do, so you can do what you want to do." I cannot grasp math. I've had tutors, extra lessons, etc and my brain just does not get it. I knew I had to pass math to get out of school and do whatever I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I had to be good enough at math and I need math in my daily job. If you want the freedom of living your dream, you need to work hard at it and do some things you don't like. Eventually, it'll pay off.

Other advice is to dream big. I know it's corny to say, but you can do whatever you want. Try new hobbies, talk to new people, never stop growing.

Last thing, take a deep breath. Failure is part of the journey. When you fail, you learn and it prepares you for what's next. Don't let a failure or bump in the road stop your focus, keep moving forward and chip away at the next task.