By Steph Wetzel, Managing Editor
Kate Scaduto has always been a people person. She has a knack for communicating with others, making connections and relating to others. Her people skills are sought after, especially in a work environment, but Scaduto was still figuring out what she wanted to do career-wise when she was in college.
“I had heard of the field of communication before, but it always seemed so broad and mysterious,” Scaduto said. She wasn’t sure what types of jobs she could get with a degree in that field. She found herself turning to her parents and family members for guidance, something many students are doing recently with the fear of job searching during the pandemic. She considered going into physical therapy, given her passion for sports combined with her good communication skills.
Scaduto was still considering going into communications, and after enrolling in both physical therapy and communications classes at Kent State University, her answer became clear. She was not fond of the amount of science and anatomy knowledge that her physical therapy classes required, and looked forward to attending her communications classes even more. “I began to realize that the broad field of communication that I once feared was exactly what I was looking for out of my career,” Scaduto said. “I came to the understanding that communication can be applied everywhere, really at any company. Once I made this realization, I never looked back.”
Scaduto is now 22 and works on social media for the nonprofit organization Project Mona’s House. This is a shocking transition for her, as she was never someone who spent a lot of time on her phone growing up. She found herself scrolling through her personal social media accounts simply to stay up to date with family and friends. She developed her interest for social media during an internship she was granted in college. Scaduto had the ability to be more creative while coming up with social media posts for the department that she was working for.
Working for Project Mona’s House has allowed her to further develop her skills. “Initially, as someone who did not spend a lot of time on their phone, it took time for me to find my groove. Everyone has their own organization style in this type of field, and it took me a while to figure out what that looked like for me,” Scaduto stated. “However, as time has gone on, I have found myself once again looking forward to learning something new every day at my job.” She mentioned that she enjoys learning new trends and coming up with new ideas to expand their viewership, increase visibility and make new connections.
“Working for a nonprofit has been unlike any other experience that I have had. I love that I learn something new every day, and that I wear many hats at Project Mona’s House,” Scaduto said. “Although I mainly manage our social media accounts, my role has quickly expanded over the past couple months.”
Scaduto sees herself continuing to work for nonprofit organizations in her future. “I love that the work I do has a direct and visible impact on the individuals that we serve,” she said. She also feels that an organization of any kind can benefit from good communication. “For this reason, I could see myself thriving in various marketing and communication related settings,” she continued.
Project Mona’s House is a branch of Ramp Global Missions, a humanitarian organization whose mission is to help those who are homeless, orphaned and those who are victims of human trafficking. They are a restoration home that turns victims into overcomers. “One of my friends recently started a new job. She told me that although she enjoys the work and is happy in her field, she worries that it does necessarily leave her feeling ‘fulfilled,’” Scaduto said. “After working for a nonprofit organization that fights human trafficking, I can easily say that I go home every day feeling rewarded or ‘fulfilled.’”
“From a social media standpoint, in my opinion, even if we only get one new follower each day, it gives me hope knowing that we reached one additional person who is dedicated enough to join us in the fight,” she said. “Before I started working at Project Mona’s House, I was not aware of the terrible crime of human trafficking. Now, I have been able to witness the expansive reach of this crime, and I feel far more educated and whole because of that.”