Robert Yacyshyn - Class of 1997

Robert Yacyshyn graduated from Archmere in 1997, where he was a member of the Mastersingers and played on one of the school’s first boys’ lacrosse team. He recalls his teachers and coaches at Archmere as some of the individuals who helped him become a strong young man. “Mr. Breger really helped mold me into a leader, and made a lasting impression on me,” he says. “He and the other coaches taught us how to win (and lose) with respect, a lesson that has stayed with me.”

After graduation, Robert attended Penn State University as a member of the Schyrer’s Honors College, and says he felt very academically prepared for college. “Not only did Archmere prepare me mentally for college,” he adds, “But it instilled values in me. From my classmates, my teachers, and other mentors like Father McLaughlin, I really learned how to carry myself in the world.”

Though he majored in business at Penn State, Robert wrote his honors thesis on his real passion – entertainment. His piece was on how to manage a show choir, something he had learned to do while being involved with the Penn State Singing Lions.

After college, Robert returned home and began working as an outreach director at The Wellness Community, a nonprofit which offers free cancer support programs. While he enjoyed being part of a meaningful organization, he began to realize more and more that he belonged in the entertainment world. “I realized that life is so short and precious that you need to do what to want to do with you life, you need to follow your dreams,” he says.

Robert began actively looking for careers in entertainment, traveling to cities like Los Angeles and Orlando to try to find where he could take his first step into the business. He didn’t find his break in California or Florida, however – he found it at Archmere. Over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2001, Rob got together with friends from Archmere to play their annual football game. Among the players was Shawn Witt ’97, who was working at MTV Networks.

With Shawn’s recommendation and Robert’s enthusiasm and clear work ethic, he earned an internship with the production team that quickly turned into a full-time position. As a production assistant and then a production coordinator, Rob worked on shows like Run’s House, Total Request Live (TRL,) and the Video Music Awards. In 2010 he was promoted from Production Manager to Line Producer, mostly working on the two-time EMMY winning reality show, MADE.

“I love helping people through MADE,” says Rob, who calls the show a project that is both positive and entertaining. “I really see myself in these kids who come in with goals and want help getting to where they want to be.”

Rob has also enjoyed helping Archmere students realize their dreams by participating in Career Day and Career Experience Day. He has been back to Archmere twice to speak to juniors about working in entertainment and this past year hosted three seniors for the day at MTV Networks. “It’s really important to me to give back to the place that did so much for me,” he says.

“I’ve been very fortunate in my career,” says Rob, “but (my success) is partly because I’ve wanted it; I’m passionate about what I do and about doing what I love.” His advice to students is the very same message he lives by, “do what you love.” “If you want to do something badly enough and you love it enough, you can find a way to make a living doing it,” he says.