Paul Sunyak

The little guy staring back at you to the right of these words is me in kindergarten, dressed up in a snazzy red vest and bow tie. As I depart the Herald-Standard after 28-plus years, I’d like to tell you a little about this kid, so you might better understand how many of his dreams came true right here, on the pages of his hometown newspaper.
He grew up in Lamberton, German Township, Fayette County — and remains proud of all three places to this day. He was a skinny kid who wore glasses and read a lot, including The Evening Standard. He also had a mail subscription to “The Sporting News,” a weekly magazine that featured the work of some of the nation’s best sportswriters, and he read it cover to cover.
As he digested the work of these writers — their way with words, the imagery they conjured up, the fact that they actually got paid to attend games and to talk to the top athletes of the day — he dreamed little boy dreams that some day, a kid from a small town, who rode his bicycle most places, played two-on-two baseball on many a day, and who guarded his left-hander’s glove like a gold brick because it would be costly to replace, might some day see his name in print.
He thought that with hard work and little luck, maybe, just maybe, some day he might be somebody, maybe even someone who could make a difference. He didn’t have much money and didn’t know any powerful people, this son of a coal miner and a sweater factory worker, but he had half a brain, intellectual curiosity and a never-say-die attitude, and he set out to make the best of what he had.
Lesson number one: You can succeed no matter where you come from, if you want it bad enough.
He went to a college that he could afford, which meant two years at Penn State Fayette Campus, during which he worked part-time as a stock boy at the old Gee Bee Furniture Store at Uniontown Mall. It wasn’t glamorous work, but it kept him in shape and helped pay for tuition and books, and for upkeep on the old Dodge Coronet 440 he drove to school and work every day.
Lesson number two: Take the path that presents itself, and make the best of the situation.
He then went to University Park as a junior and made the Penn State student newspaper, The Daily Collegian, which turned into his greatest journalism learning experience. The kids there were much like him: energetic, idealistic, tremendous lovers of newspapers and deadlines — and committed to getting the story right. They could all write, and the stiff competition made him better at what he did.
Lesson number three: Embrace competition, because it will only make you better at what you do.
After graduation, he landed another part-time job, this time at the Herald-Standard, and was promised the next full-time reporting job. Nine months passed, during which four full-timers left, and when the fifth opening came, he was hired.
Lesson number four: Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get what you want right away.
He eventually settled into a job as feature writer. One day, he was drafted to start covering county government while someone was on maternity leave. He balked at the new assignment, considering it supremely unfair. But it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him professionally, as the work put him on a path that led to numerous journalism awards, most notably for coverage of the Fayette County Housing Authority and of voter fraud in the county.
Lesson number five: Realize that everything happens for a reason, even though you might not be able to understand it at the time.
During his time at the Herald-Standard, he  had the support of some very good coworkers, editors and publishers. Without that support, a lot of stories could have been quashed before they began. Those pressures were at times enormous, but the higher-ups didn’t budge.
Lesson number six: No man (or woman) is an island. No matter what you do, someone, somewhere has got to have your back in order for you to flourish.
He took a lot of flak over the years from people who didn’t like something he wrote, but the critics never caused him to lose one night’s sleep. That’s because he was confident that many more people appreciated knowing what was really going on.
Lesson number seven: Everyone will have his or her critics. Learn to roll with the punches, knowing that truth is the ultimate vindicator.
He watched friends and coworkers come and go, and sometimes reappear, and sometimes die, and learned that change is the only constant in life. None of us really knows what tomorrow will bring, good or bad. Life has a way of taking you from the penthouse to the outhouse, and vice versa.
Lesson number eight: Every day is truly a gift from God. You should never take it for granted.
To everyone, thanks for reading my stuff over the years. And for letting me into your homes, either in person or as a byline. I hope you’ve enjoyed this ride as much as I have.
I’m leaving on my own terms, to take a communications job in state government. Here’s how I’d like to be remembered:
No matter what the task, Paul Sunyak gave us his best.
Paul Sunyak was a sports writer, general assignment reporter, feature writer, government affairs reporter, investigative reporter, special projects coordinator and editorial page editor for the Herald-Standard, and he loved every minute of it.
He would like to thank his coworkers and bosses (current and former), and his readers and sources, for helping him live out a dream. From this point on, he can be reached at psunyak@hotmail.com. Or check his blog at paulsunyak.wordpress.com.