Meghan Poperowitz
By: Reneé Di Pietro
“Everyone has their own path,” says Meghan Poperowitz. “Don’t feel pressured by social constraints or ‘the right path’ to achieve something – follow your heart.”
With shoulder-length brown hair, (which at different times has been both longer and much shorter), a calm smile and a welcoming voice, Meghan is the example of the advice that she gives.
After joining City Year Greater Philadelphia in 2004, Meghan sought out unique pathways to create for herself a lifestyle that would combine her talents and passions. This pathway started first with continuing her work at City Year. After her first corps year, Meghan signed on again as a senior corps member leading the Visitor’s Program. Then she worked in the communications department, quickly becoming a Special Projects Director. Her tour with City Year Greater Philadelphia lasted for five years.
City Year was Meghan’s first real job out of college, and she worked hard to get it.
“I got that job by surviving and working my butt off in the longest interview of my life—my corps year.”
Meghan is a connector, a web-builder. She saw many ways to make the different programs that she worked with at City Year grow in new areas not attempted yet.
Someone in Meghan’s life who has shown her that great change in life is possible is her father. Growing up she remembers her dad as a very hard working man, extremely devoted to his family, yet he struggled with his weight and was a heavy smoker. Over the past six years she has been blown away and so proud to see her father—a man on both cholesterol and blood pressure medications—turn his life around into a hard working, nonsmoker, runner and healthy eater. He no longer needs his medications anymore.
“He has evolved into a whole new person with more energy. Those are some hard things to change, you know? It has been a few years now and these changes are here to stay,” she says.
The goal setting and following through does not fall from the tree. Jill Kersteen Michaels, a music teacher in the Poconos, grew up with Meghan and describes her as “someone who handles the most difficult situations tactfully” and as someone who gives the best advice.
“Everything Meghan does sets her apart from the pack,” says Michaels. “From her artistic, eclectic style, to her uncanny listening skills, to the amazing advice she gives… Meghan is one of those rare souls you meet in life who you can respect for their wisdom and grace.”
As most of our personal gifts are learned throughout our lives, Meghan has certainly combined her natural strengths and her experiences to indeed to be a teacher of her own. Surviving a nearly fatal bike accident in Philadelphia
“I was so lucky compared to what could have really happened,” she remembers.
She has always been grateful for her life though with or without the accident. She has experienced great lost in her life and it has only given her more insight on how to cherish life daily. After losing two of her closest friends, she made sure her attitude and respect for the gift of life was something she focused on every day.
“Through their deaths I have truly learned to live life to its fullest,” she says.
As Meghan’s unique life path continued, it took her to a rather different direction than she expected. Her heart showed her an area to pursue that she knew over time was going to be her next mountain to climb.
“Working at City Year I realized a lot of the hurdles that people faced when focusing on their education was related to health issues, involving personal and community health, as well as other disparities occurring in the community.”
The health aspect of the obstacles is what really struck Meghan. This led her to investigating the ways she could transition her work into the health field and begin to address these challenges from a different direction.
“I think health is very important, both mental and physical health. When I saw it affecting our students, I always saw myself addressing it more and in a more direct way in the future.”
Five years later, Meghan is less than a year away from completing her second degree, a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing from Binghamton University in New York
“Meghan’s decision to follow her passion for helping others through a new career as a nurse is commendable and inspiring,” says Michaels.
In 2004, Meghan’s obtained her first degree, a Bachelor’s of Art in Art History from Temple University in Philadelphia
Today, Meghan’s second degree focuses on completing her newest life goals:
“I want to be an excellent nurse who takes my job seriously. I want to focus on preventative health in a hospital setting and take every morning as a new day to catch something for a patient. As for the future, I would like to work on my Masters Degree.”
Meghan also says she would like to live in a micro house one day, have a garden, chickens and do some traveling. She hopes to be a good friend and family member to those around her; and to settle somewhere where she can get involved with civic associations.
Michaels says Meghan’s already is a superb friend and has supported her in many ways like a family member over the years. She remembers their soccer practice days from high school and how during their freshman year she knew then, Meghan was someone who was going to be very important in her life.
“While we were training during pre-season, Meghan and I used to run on the dike that separated the town from the river by our school. She knew I hated running. To make it easier, she taught me to run with my eyes closed to make it go faster. We used to take turns closing our eyes while the other ran next to us and watched out for danger. As you know, there are not many people in the world that you could trust to guide you while you run with your eyes closed. It was through that experiment that I learned that Meghan was a person I could trust as we developed a life-long bond together.”
Nursing school has been a life change for sure for Meghan. Waking up at 4:30 every morning, armed with green tea, she makes herself ready to take advantage of each day as a chance to learn, a chance catch something new at school, and soon be an innovator of the world around her again in a special way.
“Don’t be afraid to take a chance or follow a dream,” she says, “Because the road will go forward as long as you take action. You’ll get there. Everyone has their own path.”
Alumni Highlight Quick Box: Meghan Poperowitz
Q: What skills or qualities do you believe are your strengths?
A: I'm tenacious and a finisher - you can rely on me to get the job done. I'm also easy going and have a generally pleasant disposition.
Q: What five things make you unique?
A: 1) I can wiggle my ears without using my hands.
Q: What skills or qualities do you believe are your strengths?
A: I'm tenacious and a finisher - you can rely on me to get the job done. I'm also easy going and have a generally pleasant disposition.
Q: What five things make you unique?
A: 1) I can wiggle my ears without using my hands.
2) I often smell flowers (when there are no flowers around) when someone I know is going to die.
3) I'm a cat whisperer.
4) I met Maya Angelou.
5) I love running in really cold weather
Q: What has been your proudest moment in life?
A: Seeing my dad evolve over the past six years from a hard working, smoking, and heavy eating man on cholesterol and blood pressure medications, to a hard working, non-smoking, running and healthy-eating man on no medications. Go dad!
Q: What is your favorite book or movie? Why?
A: I love novels that just suck you into their world, leading you to read wide-eyed until your eyes go dry. I like to be captivated, entertained and shown glimpses into the nature of our world.
Q: What was your favorite City Year founding story? Why?
A: Ubuntu. Because it applies to everyone, all the time, holistically.
A: Ubuntu. Because it applies to everyone, all the time, holistically.
Q: How many City Year sites do you predict will be open by 2020?
A: 30
A: 30
Q: Where would you like to see one?
A: I haven’t seen enough of the world yet to see where we need to be next.
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