Day in the Life: Mellisa

Our new series named, Day in the Life, highlights individuals who make the World Trade Center campus the world-class destination that it is. Our first spotlight was Ms. Yates. The second feature of the series is Mellisa Sewel, the Wayfinder Supervisor.

If you have ever gotten lost on the WTC campus, you may have been helped by someone wearing a red shirt, one of the WTC wayfinders. Mellisa and her team are always happy to help both visitors and locals who need directions or have a question. 

Name: Mellisa Sewel

Title: Wayfinder Supervisor

Years of employment at WTC: 6.5 years

Fun fact about you: Everyone knows this, I’m always smiling, I’m always happy, and I do hair. 

What’s a typical day like for you?

    Mellisa: A typical day for me is helping the pedestrians, the customers, overseeing my crew, and making sure they’re giving exceptional customer service. And being professional while you’re doing it. Overall, I’m helping people. As the wayfinders, when people arrive to the desk, whether it be inside the Oculus or wherever they are, we welcome them warmly and with a smile. We make sure that they walk away from us feeling great and knowing where they’re going. Wayfinders monitor foot traffic and get a lot of questions about the amenities, locations, transportation, and events that are happening at the World Trade Center.

We have a kiosk that gives information, but it’s not like me or my wayfinders - we give the best information. We get feedback from the customers and give it back to management for improvements.

Overall, this role is dynamic, focusing on providing excellent customer service and ensuring a smooth experience for everyone navigating the space.

What is the most rewarding/favorite thing about your job?

    Mellisa: The most rewarding part about my job is relieving the stress of consumers, customers and pedestrians. I want to make sure their anxiety level and confusion is gone by the time I'm finished giving directions. You won’t even need a map, you won’t need Google Maps, you won’t need any of that. We take pride in giving really good directions. We even walk with our people sometimes.

Can you share a story about your job?

   Mellisa: I’ve had some very unusual and fun times here. For instance, we had the VH1 Nicki Minaj performance here. It was from 2:00 AM to like 6:00 AM and it was freaking awesome. And then I danced with Nick Kosir, the weatherman. That was fun and interesting. My favorite thing though is the 9/11 Memorial Service.

Where is your favorite place on campus?

    Mellisa: My favorite spot is on the projection in the Oculus. You can see everyone from up here. They look like tiny ants. I love it here, and it’s amazing to see all the traffic. I’m always wondering where this person is going or where that person is going. We have people going in from their nine to five jobs. We have a lot of traffic in this building. I like standing here just to see them hustle and bustle.

Watch our Instagram Reel featuring Mellisa as she brings us around the WTC campus and view a glimpse into a day of her life.  Follow us on Instagram for upcoming features in this series.