SCI Fayette counselor a driven young professional
Melanie Nagy is a driven woman with many passions and a track record paved with hard work and dedication.
Nagy, a member of the Young Professionals of the Mon Valley, works at the State Correctional Institution at Fayette in Luzerne Township, where she is a corrections counselor, and the acting manager of her unit.
After seeing an ad in the newspaper that the group placed at its start, Nagy knew she wanted to be a part of it. The social aspects, the drive for professional development, and the community engagement values that are at the core of the group coincided with what Nagy believed in as well.
“I also believe you need to work for what you have. Knowing you did it yourself feels a lot better than if something is handed to you,” she explained.
The hope of the group is to rebuild the Mon Valley area and prepare the future generations of professionals. “We’re trying to make sure that when we’re gone, that the next generation will be there and ready to make a difference,” said Nagy, a Mon Valley resident.
Open to career- and community-minded individuals ages 21-42, the Young Professionals of the Mon Valley is a committee of the Mon Valley Regional Chamber.
Nagy is also involved in many community service programs including the local chapter of the Salvation Army. She recently participated in the Harvest Bounty program in partnership with the Washington County Food Bank. Nagy, along with other participants, raised $1,700 to provide students in a local school district with food to take home to ensure they get the nutrition they need. They provided 300 students in the district with a backpack full of food — enough to eat for two weeks.
“It’s crazy that 300 kids just in this district are struggling like that. We just hope that this makes a difference,” Nagy said looking back on the experience. “It’s good to give back. Not everything is about you.”
She said she believes people should appreciate what they have, as there are so many others who have it worse.
Nagy’s record of professionalism and perseverance began at Belle Vernon High School. There, she was a member of the Outdoors Club, but her main passion was being a majorette. Nagy practiced hard and by her senior year, became captain of the team.
To this day, Nagy still dances at her childhood studio, Shirley Dean Dance in Belle Vernon. She also continues to twirl in her spare time.
Nagy also has a love of learning. She furthered her education, beginning at Westmoreland County Community College and later California University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She also spent some time at Duquesne University with the Cyril Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law.
“I would love to one day go for my master’s but with work and all my other projects, that’s going to have to wait a little bit,” she laughed.