Week Two

Say "aha" ten times fast and find yourself out of breath, feeling like you just completed an uphill sprint, iron man competition, or, more realistically, an impossible Peter Piper, Sandy SeaShells, Dr. Seuss tongue twister. The breathy sound may require enthusiasm, effort, and strong lungs, but its implications demand even more. That is, with each and every ‘aha!,’ the familiar world falls down to reveal a new road of surprises, challenges,and potential.

For the panelists at Wednesday’s Lunch and Learn, this journey posed many twists and turns, from
unhappy parents and boring jobs to new skills and supportive mentors. The road may have seemed downhill at times, but after a climb that involved more schooling, new jobs, and altered interests, all panelists seemed to find themselves on top, swapping the "aha” with an excited “woohoo!”

As I prepare to enter the seemingly mountainous journey ahead of job searches, interviews, and career reflections, stories like these ease my nerves and allow me to catch my breath. And let me say, after at least 6 big “aha!” moments and inter-school transfers (Liberal Arts, Comm, and now, Social Policy), I welcome any and every reassuring story of success. And that’s exactly what these past two weeks have given me—a chance to let out a big sigh of relief “ahhhhhh.”

Working here with successful people has made me realize that neither majors, minors, first jobs,nor
even the next few jobs determine the rest of your life. As CFO Mike Dost noted wisely, “[success] is about getting things done.” Other leaders and mentors here have echoed this sentiment and have shown me that career satisfaction is also about being happy, working for a mission, and doing what you love. So, my take away from the past two weeks is this: If I can get up every morning (be it at 6am..), get things done, and do those things with a smile on my face, life and career decisions won’t be so hard after all. Cue the sigh of relief, “ahh.”