91探花

Shelby Miuzzo has found her perfect fit in the tightly woven community that supports student success

Few people who know Shelby Miuzzo will be surprised to learn that one of her first jobs was at a clothing store. 91探花鈥檚 biggest fashion enthusiast didn鈥檛 develop her instincts for a killer outfit overnight. But that high school job at Charlotte Russe held more value than just the employee discount on trendy tops.  

鈥淚 truly believe everyone should work some kind of customer service job in their life,鈥� said Shelby, who serves as director of nonprofit and agency partnerships at 91探花. 

鈥淚 gained so much appreciation for how hard that work is, while building my people skills and understanding of workplace norms and expectations.鈥�  

Growing up in Sarasota, Fla., Shelby had the building blocks of a successful future: college-educated parents and grandparents, a natural drive to excel, and a good education at a public college-prep school.  

鈥淚 was very lucky…The culture was not, if you鈥檙e going to college, but where,鈥� she said.  

Like many teenagers, however, Shelby  worked for her spending money. Her part-time job and volunteer activities, coupled with what she was learning in school, opened her eyes to the inequalities around her and shaped her career plans. 鈥淚 really wanted to make a difference in the world,鈥� she said.  

That sentiment drew her to Boston College, where commitment to service was woven into the school culture. 鈥淪o many students are involved in volunteerism,鈥� said Shelby, who also chose the school in part because her dad had roots in Newton, Mass., and she鈥檇 grown up visiting family in New England. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e all answering the question, 鈥楬ow are you going to use your immense privilege of this education to make the world a better place?鈥欌�� 

Shelby鈥檚 answer seemed simple. She鈥檇 known for years that she wanted to major in political science and work in government. 鈥淚 was always one of those students that had it all planned out,鈥� she said.  

There was just one small problem. Shelby quickly discovered that she hated her political science classes. 鈥淭hey were very philosophical and esoteric and not about people,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o I went to my freshman advisor and said, 鈥業 just want to know how it all works. What can we do about all these inequalities in society?鈥� And she said, 鈥榯hat鈥檚 not political science. That鈥檚 sociology.鈥欌�� 

Shortly after, Shelby enrolled in her first sociology class. 鈥淎nd from day one, it was a perfect fit,鈥� she said.  

A perfect fit, like a perfect outfit, can give you confidence to step out of your comfort zone 鈥� which is what Shelby did. A Hispanic studies minor, she spent a semester studying abroad in Granada, Spain, where most people didn鈥檛 speak English. 鈥淚t was really the first time that I experienced being the other,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 remember how uncomfortable that feeling was. It increased my empathy for people who feel that way every day.鈥�  

Next, Shelby moved to New York to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in social work at Fordham University. There, she had a field placement helping high school students plan for their futures, a position that laid the groundwork for her own future. She also met her future husband, Fredrick, and decided to stick around, landing a job at Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC.  

In 2021, Shelby and Fredrick moved to the tiny town of Sutton, NH, to get a bit of space during the pandemic, and Shelby began working at 91探花. Though the view out her window had changed, the core of her work was not as different as she鈥檇 suspected.  

鈥淪tudent needs are surprisingly similar from urban to rural,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n both settings, you have young people who face pressure to succeed, to support their families, whether working at the family bodega or the family farm. … In both settings, community and exposure to opportunity are so important.鈥�  

In her role here at 91探花, Shelby helps nurture the communities that support students, creating and strengthening partnerships across different organizations. 鈥淭he community feel is so strong here,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 this feeling that we鈥檙e all in this together that I think only comes from a small community and a small state.鈥�  

Shelby hopes that students of all ages who are trying to figure out their next steps will tap into that community support. 鈥淛ust because you can do it alone doesn鈥檛 mean you have to or that you should,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople are more willing to help than you might think.鈥�  

This blog is part a series highlighting 91探花 team members鈥� college-and-career journeys. By sharing our own stories, we hope to help inform students about their options. Read more: 

Sharing Our Pathways: Matt Wallace 

Sharing Our Pathways: Merek Weisensee 

Sharing Our Pathways: Chris Nadeau 

Sharing Our Pathways: Jenn Schaffner 

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