By Erika TempletonLazy and uncertain, Nathalie Moskal is climbing up the ranks of Boston University, and trying not to trip.
She hasn’t always succeeded.
“At least once a month I fall in the middle of the street,” she said.
Beth Zappulla, a friend from Moskal’s hometown of Winthrop, a suburb 20 minutes outside Boston, laughed while remembering the tendency: “Last spring we were at a party,” she said, “this kid had a bike stand and all he said to do was not touch the bikes, so of course Nathalie proceeds to fall on the bikes. She had skid marks all over her legs.”
Moskal often opts to stay at home. Her father, Michael Moskal, cited “laying on her bed as long as possible” as one of her most distinct characteristics.
At age 20, Moskal admits she’s “pretty lazy most of the time,” and expresses desire to be a cat because they “live the life, just laying around, getting petted.”
When she’s not at home, dreaming of a cat nap, Moskal can be found working at Urban Outfitters or on campus, where she is focusing her studies on magazine journalism and art history. “She’s done very well in school. I’d say that’s her thing,” her proud father said.
Despite her interest in writing, and the sense of accomplishment it gives her, Moskal is still unsure of her plans beyond college. “It’s hard to commit to something,” she said. “I’m kind of panicking about it. I always say this, ‘I don’t really know if I’m going to make it as a real person.’”
Moskal’s dad is also aware of her late-blooming sense of direction. “Her sister is two years younger and she already knows, but with Nathalie it’s not so sure yet,” he said.
If there’s one thing Moskal has a sense of, it’s style. In fact, her boyfriend, Patrick Harmon, first noticed her because of it. “She always wears a hat,” he said. Zappulla also admires Moskal’s taste: “Nat loves fashion and she always kind of just goes for it, and she always pulls it off.”
It’s no coincidence Moskal’s dream job is to write for a fashion magazine. She prefers the genre over hard news because it allows her to be more creative. “I like that there are design aspects to it,” she said.
Moskal is now a junior in the College of Communications, and the journalism department is helping to solidify her aspirations. “It’s a good experience,” she said of her newswriting course. “If I can do this, I can do anything. It stresses me out, but I feel like I have to man up, take care of business.”
A hard-working couch potato? As Nathalie says, “That’s how I roll.”