NYCHA-CUNY Scholar: Katherine Pinzon
As a child living at NYCHA’s WSUR Site A in Manhattan, Katherine Pinzon dreamt of becoming a nurse because she believed it would give her a reliable income to help her mother. Today, Katherine, 26, is a senior at Baruch College – and her career goals are more community focused, a change she credits to both NYCHA and the City University of New York.
“Growing up in public housing shifted my views on what I wanted to do,” Katherine said. “When I was younger, I didn’t understand what it meant to live in public housing; I later realized how important afterschool programs are, how important family days are, how important community is – and I knew I wanted to do something to help the community.”
In 2018, while pursuing an associate degree at LaGuardia Community College, Katherine founded a small non-profit called Pesca NYC, which serves children ages 6 to 12 who live in public and affordable housing by teaching them how to fish. Thanks to donations from Bass Pro Shops and Dick’s Sporting Goods, participants receive their own fishing rod to keep. She takes them fishing in Central Park and leads them in arts and crafts, reading, and discussions to help build leadership skills and self-confidence.
Pesca NYC participants fishing in Central Park. Photos courtesy of Katherine Pinzon. 
Pesca NYC participants fishing in Central Park. Photos courtesy of Katherine Pinzon.
“When I take the children out fishing, it’s really beautiful to see how important it is being in a community with one another,” Katherine said. “Sometimes there’s a norm of being embarrassed about where you live, and for the kids it’s nice to talk about living in public housing and fish together. If I wasn’t raised in a public housing development, I probably wouldn’t have understood that community.”
Her work with Pesca NYC is one of many reasons Katherine was chosen as a 2021 NYCHA-CUNY Scholar, which honors NYCHA residents pursuing degrees at CUNY schools for their academic excellence, leadership, and contributions to their communities. Katherine earned an associate degree in business administration from LaGuardia Community College in 2020 and will graduate from Baruch College this spring with a bachelor’s degree in public affairs.
At the NYCHA-CUNY virtual awards ceremony held in November, former City Council Member Helen Rosenthal spotlighted Katherine in her remarks. “I know that you have worked so hard,” Ms. Rosenthal said. “You really need to recognize how powerful you are and how powerful the work is that you’ve done. Keep working as hard as you are; you will reap enormous benefits from it.”
Throughout her college career, Katherine held a full course load while working full-time and running her non-profit. In December 2021, she began a new role as a full-time career coach at her alma mater LaGuardia Community College, where she counsels students; assists them with resumes, LinkedIn, and career resources; and equips them with the tools they need to succeed in today’s job market.
“Last summer, I managed two summer interns,” she noted. “That experience of mentoring and coaching them, listening to what they needed, and helping them with their transition from high school to college made the days fly by. I loved working with them.”
After graduation, Katherine plans to continue being a career coach and to continue guiding children and teens because, for her, helping to enhance the lives of today’s youth brings enrichment to her and her community.
To learn more about the NYCHA-CUNY Resident Scholarship, click here.
To see the full list of 2021 NYCHA-CUNY Scholars, click here.