Certified life coach to present about perils of perfectionism

Billie Knifong, manager of Residence Life Programs, said Pascucci's presentations are part of Women's History Month celebrations on campus.

The first portion of the presentation from 6 to 7:30, “Get Perfectly Imperfect and Lead,” will address how and why perfectionism is a barrier to leadership, health and confidence for young women. Pascucci will discuss becoming a life-long learner and dealing with unrealistic expectations.

The second portion, “Success Starts with Self-Love,” from 7:30 to 9 p.m. will be an interactive discussion about top confidence killers and how to break through them.

“I want young women to know they are more than their grade-point average. Your self-worth has nothing to do with what you accomplish and what you do in life. Young women can excel in academics and leadership, but they need to do it because they want to, not because they feel they have to in order to be worthy or good enough,” Pascucci said.

Pascucci founded her business on personal experience. When she was a college student on a scholarship and one of first members in her family to go to college, she placed an enormous amount of pressure on herself. The pressure was not external, but she desperately wanted to be a role model for her younger siblings and show them that success in college was possible.

“It started to get a little out of control. If I got a B on a test, it was like a failure,” she said.

She graduated from college with a 3.92 grade-point average, a double major, a minor and two part-time jobs, but it took a toll.

“I was a wreck. I had a panic attack in the bathroom during my last final exam. I graduated with a summa cum laude notation on my diploma, but I also had anxiety and stress-induced health problems. I took time to work through that and regain my health,” Pascucci said.

Five years later, in 2006, Pascucci launched Campus Calm to help other students with these issues called “effortless perfection” in a 2005 Duke University study.

“My presentations include everything that I needed to hear as a high school and college student but didn’t,” she said. “Being a high achiever who has sense of purpose and top grades, that’s wonderful. But fear-based ambition with a capital ‘A’ is not. The urge to be perfect lowers their self-confidence. They need to grow comfortable with trial and effort and learning from failure.”

March 24, Pascucci will speak to parents and educators in the Student Center Ballroom at 6 p.m. The title of the program is “A=anxiety.”

Pascucci will also speak in the Chadron Public Schools and make private presentations to Project Strive/TRiO and Residence Life staff during her stay in Chadron.

She will have copies of her book “Campus Calm University” available for sale. It won a gold medal in the 13th Annual International Independent Publisher Book Awards.

The events are sponsored by the Galaxy Series, Diversity Committee, Project Strive and Residence Life Association.

—Tena L. Cook, Marketing Coordinator