Getting to know Nita Musich

She works diligently providing support and managing the busy calendar of President Linda L. M. Bennett and working with USI's Board of Trustees. She has served four consecutive years on Staff Council, including serving as chair for the past year. She can often be seen across campus lending a hand, volunteering for events. She is Nita Musich, senior administrative associate in the President's Office. Nita came to work at USI in 2008, starting out as a senior administrative assistant in the Foundation Office. When a job opened in the President's Office in 2013, she was selected to help USI's top leader.

So who is Nita Musich? Let's find out.

Besides people, what is the best part of your job?

The feeling of belonging to a community, something greater than just my little corner of life.

If you had a year off with pay, what would you do?

I would travel and start marking off some items that are on my bucket list. I want to see the Northern Lights, so I'm told I can either do that during winter time in Alaska or go to Iceland. I also want to go to the Galapagos Islands and see the turtles, and to Hershey, Pennsylvania for a chocolate factory tour. 

Do you travel a lot?

Not as much as I'd like to. We try to go somewhere every year. I went zip-lining in Jamaica. Everyone in the family had to do a Fear Factor moment. We had to try something new or conquer a fear. I have a fear of heights so zip-lining was my Fear Factor moment. By the time I was on the seventh zip-line, I enjoyed it. The first three were scary. I hyperventilated going up to the first one. It had seven different zip-lines, so to get back on the ground you had to go on all seven. 

Has traveling with family kept you close?

Yes, very close. We have family card night every Saturday and in the winter we work puzzles together.

What's your biggest pet peeve?

Dishonesty. Other than that, it's leaving the cupboard doors open, which my husband does every morning.

Tell me something about you that most people don't know.

About my diverse religious background. I was christened in an Episcopal church as a baby; that's from my father's side. My mother's side was Catholic, and I married a Catholic. My stepdad was Jewish, so I went to Orthodox Jewish temple. Then my best friend in high school was Southern Baptist, so I spent some time at Bible camp and at the Southern Baptist Church.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?

I've decided that having a superpower would be way too much responsibility, so I'm going to forego any superpowers.

If you could join the cast of any TV show, past or present, what would it be and why?

We used to joke when I worked at the public schools in Arkansas that we were going to write a book and have a made-for-TV movie. We always imagined who would play us. They said Gina Davis should play me.

The plot of the book and movie would've been about all the wonderful, strange encounters we had in the public school systems, whether it be with parents or teachers. Just like USI, there were all kinds of characters, and all the quirky daily happenings going on behind the scenes.

If you were the ruler of your own country, what would be the first law you would introduce?

Get rid of money. Money is the root of all evil. It would be all barter and trade. Everybody has some value, skill or something to offer.

What would constitute a perfect day for you?

Embarking on some new adventure with my family and having a new discovery, then ending my day curled up in my easy chair with my dog, Maggie in my lap.