Get Career-Ready with: Michelangelo Pellis '26, Digital Journalism Major Student Profile

Why did you choose Point Park’s digital journalism program?

I chose Point Park’s digital journalism program during my first week on campus after meeting with an advisor. After discussing my interests and career goals, we realized that digital journalism was the perfect blend of my skills and the ones I wanted to develop.

Which faculty members and courses have had a significant impact on you?

I fell in love with journalism in Andy Conte's Newsgathering and Reporting class during freshman year. The experience in his classroom encouraged me to work towards becoming a journalist after graduation. This semester, I'm auditing his Newsgathering and Reporting class as part of an independent study for the Point Park News Service.

Also this semester, I’m taking Aimee-Marie Dorsten's Culture and Entertainment Journalism course. This class has unveiled a new side of journalism that I had never dabbled in before but is one of my favorite styles to read. Professor Dorsten's classes are very engaging and I appreciate her teaching style.  

You are actively involved in the Point Park News Service. Tell us more about that.

The Point Park News Service is a student-run multimedia wire outlet focusing on Downtown Pittsburgh news. Students who write for PPNS can get published in professional outlets.

I've been a part of PPNS since freshman year. I was an editor my sophomore year, and this year I assist with PPNS operations with my classmates Avery Jerina and Devyn Amigh, and Nick Tomarello, a graduate assistant for the Center for Media Innovation. Part of our responsibilities include editing submissions, making classroom connections to solicit submissions and creating content. 

One of my favorite things we created with Nick is our talk show, “Point of View,” where we sit down with notable Pittsburghers. I had the pleasure of interviewing muralist Max Gonzales and City of Asylum’s Poet Laureate of Allegheny County, Doralee Brooks.

@pointparku See what it looks like to get career-ready as a junior Digital Journalism major in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh! Follow along with Michelangelo Pellis '26 to get a glimpse of his day-to-day Point Park experience 👨‍💻📰☕️ Read Michelangelo’s full Q&A at the link in our bio under “Get Career-Ready Series” ✨ #GRWM #GetReadyWithMe #PointParkU #PointParkUniversity #DowntownPittsburgh #DigitalJournalism #Journalism ♬ original sound - Point Park University

What’s it like living in learning in Downtown Pittsburgh?

Living in Downtown Pittsburgh is the absolute best. There’s always something to do and even when there isn’t, Pittsburgh’s outer neighborhoods are just a bus ride away. The city is so fun to explore. Some of my favorite places are Bagel Factory in Squirrel Hill, Mellon Park in Shadyside, and Toadflax Inc. on Walnut Street which has the best plants and flowers in Pittsburgh.

What are your career goals?

I have always wanted to be a writer. I think the best part of my time at Point Park has been ironing out how to make this dream into a viable career option. With the experience I gained in my courses and the Point Park News Service, I was able to get a paid summer internship at the Tribune-Review after only one year in school. Without Point Park’s School of Communication, I would not be on the path to the career I always dreamed of. 

What advice do you have for a prospective student?

One piece of advice is to let go of any expectations of what college will bring. If I told my freshman-year self the way everything has panned out so far, he wouldn’t believe it. Hold on to your hopes and dreams for the future but let go of the idea that things will play out the way you think they should. You never know what the future will bring, and it might be better than anything you ever expected.

More About: School of Communication, The Globe, digital journalism, Point Park News Service, Hempfield Area High School, Get Career-Ready, Pioneer Records