Was #college really worth it?
The other day, I wrote about what it was like to accept my college diploma, six years post graduation.
The more I looked at the diploma, the more I pondered the questions of, “Was it really worth the investment? Was it really worth the time? Was it really worth the energy?“
The more I asked, the more I discovered.
1. I may not use my degree in its literal form, as a Russian Translator, in my day job; however, if it wasn’t for the classes with Tanya McIntyre, Ph.D., Sue Ellen Wright, Erik Angelone, I may not have ever learned how to effectively understand and communicate with people across different cultures, and how to translate for meaning and not just words. To this day, the principles taught in those classes continue to help me meet a fundamental human need of mine: the desire to understand and to be understood.
2. There hasn’t been a single time throughout my life, outside of organizing events myself or paying thousands of dollars to attend them, when I’ve physically been in the same room as thousands of other people. Thousands of opportunities to meet people who might be able to change the trajectory of my life in an instance. Classrooms at Kent State University offered such opportunities more times than I could count.
3. Had it not been for Craig J. Zamary’s “Introduction to Entrepreneurship” class, I may not have discovered my life’s calling, the desire to help other people overcome their invisibility.
4. Had it not been for weekly meetings on the track field, tossing a frisbee around until sunset, I may not have met some of my lifelong friends. The type of people I can call at any given hour regardless of the circumstances.
5. Had it not been for my desire to explore John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship, I may not have met the type of mentor, Mary Heidler, that many wish for.
6. Had the university not been located four hours away, I may not have had the opportunity to create new memories with my parents. The group of people I didn’t have the first 12 years of my life with.
7. Had it not been for Mary Heidler’s suggestion to study abroad, I may not have met an entirely different community of entrepreneurs from all over the world while spending a whole summer in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to, Québec, Canada 🇨🇦
8. Had it not been for the people such as Kate Harmon, Tabitha Messmore, Julie Messing, helping me master my craft as a speaker, I may not have developed the courage to share my story with thousands of strangers from around the world.
9. Had it not been for my desire to explore how curiosity has helped me to overcome the invisibility of being a Kent State University graduate, I may not have discovered all of the benefits and life skills this experience had given me.
For me, attending Kent State University was well worth the investment!
Was college really worth it for you?
