Your Career and You..."Be All You Can Be...and More!"

...with a nod to the US Army Recruiting Command for whom I worked for a few years.

Once again, young up-and-coming professionals with whom I have had the honor and pleasure of studying are amazing me with their ambition, their abilities, and their determination to succeed. Here are a couple of examples.

I heard recently from a former student now working at a university in Texas. We chat occasionally on Facebook, and she updated me on her plans for the future, which include graduate school. She wants to remain in higher education and...get this...her goal is to eventually become Dean of Students at a college or university!

How cool is that? She has found her place...working with college students. She knows what she ultimately wants to be...Dean. And she knows how to get there...continued studies and hard work.

I have absolutely no doubt that Catie will reach this target, and I plan to be around to celebrate the occasion!!

Yet another friend, starting her senior year now at Curry College, never ceases to amaze me with her abilities as a communicator. When I first met her, I wasn't sure which way she wanted to go as a Communication major. But she ultimately focused on Public Relations, and she has surpassed my wildest dreams as a budding professional.

Three internships under her belt as of this fall, stellar grades from the beginning, active involvement in the Curry College Public Relations Student Association...you name it, she either has done it or will do it as part of her professional development.

Where will she go from here? Who knows? But I can guarantee you that wherever Donna goes she will blow them away. How can I say this? Here's an excerpt from a speech she gave today to the incoming freshman class at Curry College about her evolution: "I am a stronger and more motivated person than I thought I was during my first few weeks in college."

I could go on forever, but the lesson here is that you can do just about anything you set your mind to. Your own inherent abilities, skills, interests, desires and passion will guide you along the way.

And, at the right time...in the right place, you will find that you are capable of exceeding your expectations...that you truly can "be all you can be"...and more.

"I want, by understanding myself, to understand others. I want to be all that I am capable of becoming...This all sounds very strenuous and serious. But now that I have wrestled with it, it's no longer. I feel happy -- deep down. All is well."
Katherine Mansfield, "Journal" [1922], last entry