Monroe resident Jon Pelcin is a student studying towards an associate of arts (AA) in psychology at Rockland Community College. Since enrolling in 2023, he has achieved several milestones at the college, including being nominated to the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) in September 2024. NSLS is one of the largest societies in the country, with more than 800 chapters that foster professional and leadership skills and provide access to scholarships, awards, job boards, and letters of recommendation. Before Rockland Community College, Mr. Pelcin was a student at Monroe-Woodbury High School.
Mr. Pelcin works as a DoorDash delivery driver when not in school, serving local restaurants and customers in the New York and New Jersey area. He started the job in January 2022 and has since earned gold status and a five-star rating on more than 250 deliveries. He previously worked in the same capacity for Roadie, delivering grocery orders for Walmart. Other positions include a sanitation station attendant at BJ’s Warehouse and customer service at Walmart in Monroe, New York.
Jon Pelcin has been interested in sports from a young age, especially televised programs featuring NBA and Major League Baseball (MLB) statistics and athletes’ histories. In high school, he worked as a statistician for the boys’ varsity team. He was a member of the high school cross-country team and the Unified Basketball team, and in his last year in 2021, he captained the Monroe-Woodbury Unified Basketball team. A unified team is a program that pairs athletes with intellectual disabilities with those without, all of similar age and skill level, with the aim of promoting inclusion, networking, socialization, and sportsmanship.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
As soon as I wake up, I check all of my notifications. I look to see how the games ended that I didn’t stay up to watch. I look to see if there will be any packages delivered. I check the weather app to see what the day will be like so that I can dress appropriately and be prepared. I check my emails to see if I need to address any immediate concerns or if any scheduled events have been changed. I review my goals for the day. Then I get up, get dressed, take care of my dogs, and start my day.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I share my ideas with professors, peers, and family so that I can get feedback and execute projects the best that I can.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I am most excited about recent trends in clothing and fashionable haircuts for Generation Z men. I also am interested in the development of new healthy snacks.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Punctuality is a habit that I have, which allows me to make the most of my day by keeping to my schedule.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self, in the words of the late great Jim Valvano, “Don’t give up; don’t ever give up!”
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on.
I’ve exchanged friendly banter with many people because of my strong belief that LeBron Raymone James is the greatest basketball player to ever step onto the hardwood.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Every morning, I stop and thank the Good Lord for the new day that awaits me.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
To recenter when I feel overwhelmed, I pause and think about what my next move should be, rather than just advance down the path blindly.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I am continuing my education so that I can have the broadest base of knowledge when I enter the workforce.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Once I delivered an entire grocery order to the wrong address. I had two orders in the car and, because it was raining, I was in a rush to get the bags to the porch. Luckily, I realized my mistake before I pulled away from the house. I learned that double- and triple-checking all of the orders’ information saves time and the embarrassment of having to retrieve a misdelivered order.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
There are ways to make money in your idle time by becoming a delivery driver for an established service.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Grammarly is a software that I use daily. This powerful AI writing assistant improves my written communication by assisting with my grammar, punctuation, and tone.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
The best $100 I spent was when I went in on buying a PS5 with my brother. The system has provided hours of entertainment and leisure, whether playing alone or with my brother.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
Never a day passes without me tuning into Sirius XM channel 82’s “The Stephen A. Smith Show” from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. This sports show provides me with talking points that I can use when discussing sports with other fans, whether they be die-hard, super fans, or very casual.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I am a “Scream” fanatic! I enjoy following the screen plays that Kevin Williamson wrote, which revived the horror-slasher genre on the silver screen 30 years ago.
Key learnings
- Beginning each day by checking key information (weather, emails, schedule, goals), preparing, and planning is central to productivity.
- Don’t work in isolation—sharing ideas with professors, peers, and family helps refine thinking and leads to better outcomes.
- Being on time and sticking to a schedule is a core habit that helps make the most of each day.
- Demonstrate accountability and growth by learning from errors and emphasizing careful double-checking moving forward.
- Combining career focus (continuing education) with personal enjoyment (sports, gaming, entertainment) and daily gratitude leads to a well-rounded approach to life.