The End to an Incredible Journey

The incredibly journey has ended today.  I could still remember back in March when I was convinced to experience something completely different this summer.  I wanted to push my comfort zone.  I wanted to know how I could fit in different environments even though it has become a norm in my life.  The day I found out that there is a place for me to learn at SMU, I was elated.  I wasn’t elated because it’s SMU - the seemingly snobby, rich, private school that everyone perceived – but I not once have stepped foot on a private university before…ever.  I needed to know and feel the difference from rest of typical big, state universities I am so familiar with; I finally had that chance to experience something different. 

Working at the Career Center was fairly challenging.  It’s probably one of the most formal environments in the area of student affairs.  There is a lot of pressure to place students in the workforce and dealing with companies, some easy and others very difficult.  The staff size  is much bigger than what I’m used to, and everyone is a veteran.  I was literally the baby out of all.  This summer was truly a moment to push myself and to prove others that I am more than capable of meeting professional expectations.  A lot of projects enabled me to think out of the box and made me overcome fears that I haven’t been able to tackle the past 24 years. 

Today, I walked out of there with the biggest smile on earth and with much more confidence than the first day I walked in.  It was a fun summer - to work with people who really understood what it means to be hard workers, to see some great leadership, and understanding exactly what it takes to create a really productive work environment – which provided me some clear perspective and shaping my expectations of a future work place.  There were all incredibly wonderful to me, which came with so much resources and attention.  I loved being able to learn immensely, even if that meant spending 2-3 hours on the road and waking up really early.

I left the school with much satisfaction, gratitude and happiness.  I feel like my summer has been well spent and reaching out to strangers definitely paid off.  I’m going miss those people, my office, the parking garage and the swimming pool across, gorgeous SMU’s landscaping and architecture, and the path I always took every mornings and afternoons.

If there is an opportunity awaiting you, take it.  I had regrets back in college in which I didn’t take full advantage of what was available to me, and I was determined to not repeat that same mistake when I started grad school.