In my four years at Elon...Navigating Personal & Professional Development Opportunties through Covid-19, lessons learned

Wow. Yesterday was the last day of my final Fall semester at Elon University - Martha and Spencer Love School of Business , Elon University . For some reason, I had an inkling to organize my personal and professional development experiences in a way that provided a birds eye view to all my “accomplishments”.?

I’d been feeling a little irritable over the past couple of months. Feeling like I wasn’t juggling things as well as I used to and like I was dropping the ball on some important commitments.?Over the past four years, I’ve often been the first to claim “These won’t be the best 4 years of MY life!”. Looking at this, I’m a little embarrassed. It worries me that the time I have left at Elon is short and that I am just beginning to realize how many choices and opportunities I’ve been able to explore due to the environment being a college student has provided me.?

Over the past four years, I’ve held internships from three amazing companies/organizations Mary Square, LLC , Lockheed Martin & The White House . I’ve started three businesses, two of which I am still working on growing today. I’ve been a part of countless organizations, some of which have dramatically changed my experience at Elon for the better; thank you InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA , Elon University's Real Estate Club , & Beta Alpha Psi, and have been given countless opportunities to expand upon my personal and professional development.?These opportunities have been pivotal, life-changing moments in my development both personally and professionally.

I’ve also failed to get internships I really wanted. I’ve dropped organizations and resigned from on-campus positions that I’d thought I’d be be a part of for all four years when I started. I’ve struggled. I’ve felt lost. I’ve felt like I didn’t belong.?In some ways, these struggles and, in other cases, these endings largely felt like failures but in organizing my experiences in this manner, I’ve realized in every ending, there’s a new beginning right around the corner.?

I realized that so many of the times I was worried about stepping back from something that no longer felt right, that nothing else would come. That’d I’d be stuck. I was wrong. In so many cases, something even more amazing was just about to start; sometimes that I’d planned but more often times than not, it was something that had come by complete surprise.?

Covid largely affected my college experience socially and I don’t think the Class of 2023 as a whole will ever receive the recognition for the adversities we’ve overcome. Covid didn't take away half of our senior year, it took a chunk of 4 semesters out of the middle of our college experience: half of our Freshman Spring, Sohopomore Fall, Sophomore Spring, Junior Fall and half of Junior Spring but I fought hard, really hard for it to not to have an affect on my personal and professional development opportunties. ?

A lot has happened in the past four years and a lot will continue to happen. I’m sure my last semester will bring lessons of its own but for now, here’s some of what I’ve learned over the past four years…

1. Never sacrifice the time you get to spend with close friends and family. It’s okay to drive home because you want an extra morning with your mom or a night talking and visiting with those you love. You won’t always get to do that.?
2. Do it your way. Trust your gut…it won’t steer you wrong and as Roy Williams once said, you’re ‘fox-hole’ friends will stick with you no matter what.?
3. (This took me a long time to learn) Perfection is the enemy of good.
4. There’s a difference between doing your best and trying your best. Sometimes your external environment or personal matters prevent you from doing your best and all you can do is try to do your best.
5. Take breaks. It’s okay to be silly and dance!!?
6. Check-in on your friends and on yourself. ?
7. If you’re scared, do it.
8. In the end, it’ll work itself out.?

#ClassOf2023, it's officially #SeniorSeason!!