Hi! My name is Miriam Spak, and I’m a first-year in Pitt’s Dietrich School studying Politics and Philosophy. I’m hoping to minor in Slovak Studies and earn a certificate in Sustainability. Outside of the classroom, I work at a local independent bookstore, go to as many concerts as my bank account will allow, and take long walks through Pittsburgh. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I feel so lucky to be attending such a fantastic university in my favorite city. I’m very excited to see more of southwestern Pennsylvania through community-engaged research in Fayette County this semester!
I’m participating in this research project through a course run by the Frederick Honors College and supported by the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative (ACRI), created by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The ARC is a federal program aiming to build a strong economic future in the Appalachian region, and ACRI supports this goal by bringing college students from the region to work on community-based economic development initiatives. I especially appreciate this program’s ethos, which is that we aren’t telling anyone what to do or how to “fix” Appalachia, but rather using the resources of a large public research university to support community partners and leaders in their efforts to enhance economic and cultural growth. Additionally, this is the 5th year in a 10-year partnership between the University of Pittsburgh and Fayette County, giving our cohort the chance to build on the work of previous years and leave a strong foundation for future groups to build on.
Within Pitt’s team, I’ll be joining the Urban Studies group to support our client, the Fayette County Cultural Trust. Last year’s cohort developed takeaways and policy recommendations via interviews and conversations with community officials, and our group hopes to extend this work into tangible implementation. Our current project idea revolves around partnering with local businesses, artists, and high schoolers to create and sell stickers representing community assets. Our hope is that this project will be a practical and straightforward way to further a number of goals: boosting the local economy through sticker sales, capitalizing on tourism and using the depiction of Fayette County landmarks to draw tourists beyond their initial destination, and increasing regional pride. In identifying and analyzing the problems affecting the Appalachian region, collegiate research far too often ignores the strengths and successes of the area. We see the creation of stickers – an accessible, popular, and highly transportable way to advertise what residents identify as the best parts of their communities – as a step in envisioning a prosperous and abundant future for Fayette County.
This project aligns with both my academic and professional goals. My participation is an extension of my Politics of Appalachia class, which I highly anticipated taking this semester because of my frustration with how peers and adults in my life – especially people I see as politically engaged, conscientious, and trying to do the right thing – casually perpetuate harmful stereotypes and attitudes about Appalachia. I’m fascinated by the questions and issues we discuss in class surrounding the urban/rural divide, and I’m very grateful to expand my learning into the experiential realm. In the future, I hope to work in climate governance, a field that necessitates Appalachians’ participation and input yet frequently marginalizes their perspectives. I am confident that the experiences I gain from this project will guide how I approach my career choices.
On a personal level, I have always been proud of my family’s multigenerational roots in western Pennsylvania and my status as a native of the Paris of Appalachia. I have a deep interest in Appalachian history and literature, and Ohiopyle is one of my favorite places in the world. In high school, I had the chance to participate in a model government program that brings together students from across Pennsylvania. I befriended students from towns the size of my neighborhood, and I went to a summer program in a heartstoppingly gorgeous part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. After this, it became impossible for me to generalize about rural perspectives or view Appalachia as a monolith. As I meet residents of Fayette County and college students from across Appalachia, I cannot wait to have more eye-opening experiences.
