Name: Melanie Esterman, but Mel is cool.
Hometown: In West Philadelphia, born and raised—just kidding, it was Northeast Philadelphia, so inside Philly.
Year: Senior, but graduating in December 2015.
Relationship Status: Taken as of February 2014.
Her Campus: What extracurricular activities are you involved with?
Melanie Esterman: Alpha Phi Omega (a service fraternity on campus), so I do 30-40 hours of community service a semester. I also intern with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I’ve been doing that since my freshman year, and it’s something I’m really passionate about. I also hold two jobs: one at Club Hillman and one at the 24-hour Rite Aid—just call me “Rite Aid Girl.” No other clubs or jobs, I just like to go to the gym.
HC: You’re graduating in December. What will you miss most about Pitt?
ME: Obviously, I’ll miss a lot about Pitt, but one of the things I’ll miss most is the group of workers at the Posvar Einstein’s. Ever since I started going there every day of my sophomore year I’ve gotten really close to all of them. They greet me every day, sing to me across the floor, and they even gave me a card and presents for my birthday. We all exchange weekend plans, gym exercises, even vacation ideas. They’re just so warm and friendly; they have honestly made my day every day for the last two years. I’ll miss their smiling faces and obnoxious singing for sure.
HC: What’s your dream job? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
ME: It’s funny because my practical and planned career path is no longer what I want for myself, so this is the question I’ve been asking myself on the daily. My dream job would be something in the field of suicide prevention. Honestly, I would love to travel the world and educate people on the topic. I’m a really big people-person, so anything that gets me interacting with lots of people is ideal. I’m definitely not fit for an office job, so hopefully in ten years I’ll be somewhere warm, sitting outside with my dog, and getting ready for my next adventure.
HC: What is your guilty pleasure?
ME: This is tough because I have a lot. I’ll go with musical ones: Taylor Swift and One Direction. On a typical day I’m listening to something alternative/rock/indie-esque, but there’s something about catchy T-Swift and 1D songs that I can’t ignore. I think a lot of people say they hate them, but I’m 99.9% sure they’re all lying.
HC: Who is your celebrity crush? Why?
ME: Emma Watson is a huge one. She’s not only intelligent and beautiful, but she does really good things. Ryan Gosling is up there, too. He’s so talented and gorgeous! He’s a fantastic actor and musician. Emma Stone, too! She’s just hilarious and I think she’d be super cool to spend time with. Also, Chris Evans. Have you seen his butt?
HC: Describe your perfect date.
ME: Grabbing a casual dinner or going bowling are my two favorite options. Food is always a great call. Bowling is a ton of fun for me. I’m not great—not bad, but not great, so it’s a good environment to just be funny and relax. The end would feature me cracking a super corny joke and laughing at myself, but that happens every day so…
HC: Who are your top 3 musical artists? Favorite songs at the moment?
ME: The Gaslight Anthem, Jimmy Eat World, and Matt Corby. They’ve all gotten me through some tough times, but have a song for every mood. Right now there are a few songs I’m really diggin’: “Dangerous Days” by Zola Jesus, “Wild Heart” by Bleachers, and “Please Be Kind” by the Tins.
HC: What’s your favorite holiday?
ME: Does my birthday count? Probably not, so I would say Halloween. I loved it more when I was little, but I love seeing how happy it makes little kids now. This past Halloween my girlfriend was a slice of pizza and I was a pizza delivery girl. I got a free shirt from Antoon’s, so how can you beat that? Oh, and we gave out candy to little kids at her Grandma’s. That’s my kind of holiday.
Image Credit: Photos provided by the Cutie