Growth from Risk

It's easy to be comfortable and go-with-the-flow of the known. In comfort, we often also find a sense of confidence and steadiness. But there is a reason people strive to "get out of their comfort zone." At the heart of that concept is taking risks and facing fears of the unknown. The willingness to take risks and trust one's internal voice leads to opportunities for continued learning and growth.

Throughout seven years of employment at the same company, there were enough regular but small changes that required adjustment and additional learning. It was just challenging enough and comfortable enough at the same time. The first time I had the feeling that I was ready for a big change, I decided to research graduate programs and applied to graduate school. After being accepted and starting my first semester, I soon had plenty to learn and do outside of work, and it was a comfort to have a role and a team that I knew so well. It offered me comfortable stability in the face of new challenges and new expectations in adjusting to graduate school. I had my hands full with professional development and formal and informal educational opportunities. When a new position opened up in a different department, I was excited and interested in the role, but the thought of making another major life change so soon was daunting. It would mean being in a constant state of learning and trying to find my way at both school and at work.

I decided to apply for the position and was unreasonably nervous. On one hand, it was a low-stakes risk given that I was already happily employed. The time and emotional investment to apply, interview, and create and deliver a presentation felt worth it to pursue a position in a department to which I hoped to move one day. In fact, it was a primary motivator for applying to graduate school in the first place. On the other hand, the fear of failure was very real. Facing rejection in this process would be eye-opening and would likely have a significant impact on my career trajectory. Determined not to overthink things, I told myself that if I wasn't the best fit for the role, it did not mean I couldn't do the job... I just wasn't ready yet. I landed the job, made the transition at work in December 2018, and pushed forward with expanding my skills and experiences at work and in class. It was a process, and one year later I am still navigating new situations, but it was worth it. The alignment of my graduate studies and professional role are now much like a lock and key.

I've taken advantage of several other growth opportunities as a graduate student. Perhaps the most impactful and least expected at the start of the program was having an opportunity to study abroad. This experience required me to overcome anxiety about travel, finances, sharing a room with strangers, and expectations in the curriculum. I was easily overwhelmed at the initial thought of committing to the trip and processed key elements over time piece by piece. Additionally, I had to challenge myself to tolerate ambiguity and the unknown. As the trip grew nearer, planning and preparation began, but moving past my anxiety to commit to and trust in an experience like no other was a big step. It was an exciting and unique academic challenge with so many other personal and professional benefits. My participation was directly connected to my ability to overcome self-doubt, embrace the unknown, and take a risk on a new experience.