As spring approaches, the change in seasons brings exciting news to seniors: college acceptances. Many of our students have already heard back from schools and are excitedly looking forward to the idea of university and careers. Although this is an exhilarating time in their lives, it’s also one full of uncertainty and questions of exactly how one goes about big life decisions.
Enter the professionals. For the past three years, Row New York has helped shed light on career and college questions at our annual Career Panel at Goldman Sachs. The conversations never fail to amaze us, as smart questions posed by students unfold incredibly insightful stories from panelists. This year proved to be no different. Throughout the night, our seven speakers focused on the inevitability of change, crucial skills for success, and the importance of valuing oneself.
Panelists shared advice echoing insights from our recent Professional Women’s Dinner, such as garnering advisors and mentors in the workplace. During the panel, we heard eloquent quotes to inspire any crowd. Melanie Hart reassured students to, “trust yourselves, stand in your own values – you’ll be great.” Fashion stylist Kwasi Kessie advised us to, “use fear as a tool to be great.” By the end, small groups of students formed around each speaker as they sought out professionals aligned with their interests.
Below, Manhattan varsity boy’s member, Gustavo Diaz, shares how the night helped shaped his views on jobs, success, and owning his true self:
On March 9th I attended the Senior Career Panel at Goldman Sachs with fellow Row New York teammates. The night was very informative and provided us with advice on the college journey and finding a career. Much of the conversation expanded on how we should follow our passions even if we run into challenges along the way.
One of the major themes was that no matter what you want to study, you should follow your passion. David, one of the panelists, told us that he was not intrigued with his first major in college. He later found he loved helping people, so he became a social worker. Even though his salary wasn’t high, he continued to work as a social worker. This taught me that I should follow my passions and love my job, instead of solely focusing on financial reimbursement.
One of my favorite takeaways was learning to trust my intuition. Melanie Hart and Kwasi Kessie gave us the advice to trust in ourselves. Melanie talked about my favorite lesson from the whole career panel: you don’t always have to let your voice speak for you. She told us that instead of using your voice, let your work show through. Your work shows others what you know, and nobody can take that knowledge away from you.
I learned something from each panelist to put into my daily use. These are the small changes I will continue to make on my road to success. This experience wasn’t just inspirational for me, it also opened my eyes to more than getting a college degree. I want to find my passion, push doubt aside, and trust in myself.
We extend a huge thank you to Gustavo for sharing his expeerience with the blog, and to our amazing panelists, whose insights, honesty, and experience truly made this a night to remember:
Lindsay LoBue, Host and Moderator: Advisory Director to Goldman Sachs
Pareen Kohlhaas: a former financial trader, and currently transitioning into education management
Steve Salee: entrepreneur and Professional Certified Coach
Melanie Hart: Executive Vice President of Community Programs and Development, NYC Housing Authority
Isaac Tercero: Program Coordinator for the Latin America and Latino Studies Institute at Fordham University
David Kim: Licensed Master Social Worker, Wediko Children’s Services
Kwasi Kessie: established freelance fashion stylist
