BOLD Pittsburgh Volume 0 | Page 6

Amanda Cooney Originally from a small town north of Pittsburgh, Amanda Cooney has had a pretty normal life – she wouldn’t call it boring, comfortably predictable maybe, but that’s okay with her. Greenville, Pennsylvania has only really a handful of things to do and growing up, Amanda and her friends had to be pretty creative when finding things to do to keep themselves occupied; this usually ended up in taking advantage in Video Hardware’s 5 movies for $5 for 5 days or perusing the local WalMart to see what was new. After graduating from Greenville High School, Amanda had a failed attempt at flying the nest. After 10 weeks of attending an art school east of Pittsburgh, she moved back home and enrolled at Thiel College. Initially, she felt like a failure – but soon she came to realize it was one of the best dec isions she has ever made. She was able to express herself creatively through art, but also learn about how to run and manage a business, which has always been her dream. Not to mention, she met some of the best people she has ever known at that school! Realizing that she didn't want to stay in her hometown, she decided to take another crack at leaving the nest in 2009 and looked for jobs in the Pittsburgh area. Anxiety set in when interviewed and was offered a position - what if it didn't work out? What if she didn't like the job? What if she didn't like living in Pittsburgh? After getting some good advice from her aunt, Amanda decided to take the job and if she didn't like where her life was going, she would just call it what it was, and move back to Greenville in six months. Four years later, she is still living in the 'Burgh and she LOVES it. Amanda currently works as an administrative assistant and earned her Masters of Business Administration from Point Park University in December 2012. In her free time, Amanda likes sewing, drawing, painting, and baking. She also likes watching hockey and cuddling with her cat, Piglet.