Ms. Pasulka working on an essay with student Alexandra Suarez ‘19

Whitney M. Young’s very own hidden gem, Brigid Pasulka, has been working here for almost fifteen years. For those who have never visited the Writing and Resource Center, you’re missing out. Ms. Pasulka  is the go to person for any of your writing needs. Along with being an excellent mentor and teacher, she is also an award-winning author. Many may not know this, but Ms. Pasulka has published two books: A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True (2009) and The Sun and Other Stars (2013), which have amassed seven different awards. When talking to her about how she manages writing, work, and her family life, she said, “I am very tightly scheduled, but… I’m rarely ever tired because I’m doing everything that I love.” She stressed the fact that she loves to work with the students here at Whitney Young because they always put a smile on her face.

When asked about Ms. Pasulka, Gloria Oladipo, ‘17 praised, “Ms. Pasulka is probably one of the most intelligent, intellectual, and genuinely caring teachers at Whitney Young. She cares about academic success of all who are in her presence and will go out of her way to fortify the success of students.”

Cecilia Bedolla, ‘17 said, “She’s very helpful whenever you feel like you’re going through writer’s block or when you just need advice.

Daveenah Guise, ‘17 commented, “Ms. Pasulka is awesome because she really takes time looking at your essay and she knows what to look for to fine tune it.”

Spending just moments with Ms. Pasulka makes it clear as to why she is such a student favorite. When we asked her, without any advanced warning, if we could interview her, her immediate response was to pull out a chair and ask what we wanted to know. She answered our questions honestly and openly, with the interview practically writing itself. When asked about how she felt towards the success of her books and the fame that followed it she quickly replied, “You learn humility very quickly, because in the world you’re going around in everybody has a book… You can’t really base your success on exterior measures, because there’s always another exterior mesure. You have to decide early on what constitutes success for you. I want to write books that I’m proud of. Period. End of story.”

To any future writers, Ms. Pasulka’s advice is to really “put in the time” that it takes to write and not to rush to get published. You want to make sure that you put your best work out there. On writing she says: “I never set out to write a novel, or get published, you know? I was doing it for me.” Ultimately, you’re writing for yourself.

Whitney Young is lucky to have snagged up such a talented, humble, and dedicated faculty member, and we can all learn a little something from her. So whether you need a second pair of eyes to read over your personal statement, or you’re just dying to borrow a copy of The Sun and Other Stars, head over to the Writing and Resource Center and say hello to our very own Ms. Pasulka.