Community Fellows Blog Posts

College is structured in a way that requires you to have it all figured out. Having to declare your major by sophomore year, having to start getting internships by sophomore year, and having to be around people who seem to have it all figured out, just to name a few. It feels as though you’re supposed to know exactly who you are and what you want for the rest of your professional life. But one lesson I took away from this fellowship was that the job you find most fulfilling could be unplanned-- and that’s completely okay.

I’ve heard from not only guest speakers but also from my own colleagues at Cristo Rey that working where they are now was never part of the plan. Some had worked in public, for-profit companies before, never imagining that they would end up where they are now. But everyone I’ve spoken to thoroughly enjoys what they do. The people I work with at Cristo Rey are all so passionate about their jobs and especially the mission behind the school that they work for. It’s not just a job-- there’s a sense of fulfillment. I’m not sure if I’ll end up working in education someday, but I do know that being in this type of environment has inspired me to “go with the flow.” By that, I mean be flexible to a change in plans and have faith in my professional journey. Experience is experience, and it can lead you to opportunities that may have seemed unexpected years ago. Being a college senior, this is a comforting thought, since I’m definitely still figuring the whole “life” thing out.

In the midst of “getting it all figured out,” it’s so easy for us as students to be completely focused on ourselves by getting ourselves internships, getting ourselves good grades, networking for ourselves, and more. It is easy to forget about the communities around us that we are part of. As an adult, there are so many responsibilities to juggle in your own life that it becomes easy to never really think about the lives of others. But this fellowship has inspired me to try and never be that person as I continue my professional career. Whether it may be volunteering on the weekends, taking time off to volunteer, or even working for a nonprofit that is actively working to address issues in our communities, I strive to remain a member in my community that stays educated about issues that both people and our Earth have to endure. The opportunity to combine my professional interests with this goal usually exists in the form of working in the nonprofit sector, which is now an option that I consider more now than I did before being a part of this program. I am grateful that my experience at Cristo Rey has been such a positive one that I feel like I could possibly work in education in the future, and I am thankful to the people I’ve met while being a fellow that have shown me the fantastic network you can build while working at a place that is doing something good. 

So, I may not have it all figured out, but while being an LSB Community Fellow, I’ve definitely made some progress. Thank you to Cristo Rey and the Leavey School of Business for this experience!