An overachiever's guide to failure and uncertainty

Overachiever: someone who's good at following the rules, going the extra mile, getting the A; also adept at avoiding failure.

That's not Webster's definition, it's just the first thing that came to my mind.

Hi, my name is Isa and I'm an overachiever. 

My overachiever's nature has led me to deeply explore the world of success, who gets it, what makes it, how hard you have to work to get it, what it requires, etc.

And the kind of success I tend to admire most is the kind had by the rule breakers, the artists, the creators, the entrepreneurs, the inventors, the leaders. 

By nature I'm not a rule breaker. I'm a rule follower. I'm not comfortable with risk, adventure, uncertainty, and, the big one, failure.

For the most of my life, this served me well.

School was made for overachievers. We're lucky in that. Privileged in fact. Overachievers can continue to follow the rules and do very well in life.

But what about the brand of overachievers who aren't interested in careers where rule-following matters. What if you want to overachieve at something that's scary, risky, and requires lots of failure along the way?

If that describes you, then this is just for you; it's something I wish I'd had before I set out on my journey of trying to overachieve in the world of risk and uncertainty.

An Overachiever's Guide to Failure and Uncertainty

1 - Drown out the noise
There are a lot of rules around you, a lot of paths, a lot of people telling you what success is. Sometimes as overachievers we get so wrapped up in the definitions being put upon us (we're good at that, remember? There isn't a class we can't ace, a syllabus we can't follow) but we rarely stop and think about our real values and priorities, and how we really want to define what success means in our lives. 

Find a quiet place, grab a notebook or a great journal, and start by writing out what success really means to you - if judgement, money, and rules weren't a factor, what would success really look like in your life? Forget about every other expectation or expected path, and just write like no one's judging (or grading ;)).

2 - Read books about people you admire
Once you've really thought about what success looks like to you, find some books about people who have achieved that kind of success. Pay close attention to their failures and the uncertainty in their path. What risks did they have to take? What happened when they failed? What kept them going? Why did their pursuit matter? When did they have to evolve their dreams? Who helped them along the way?  

Write down the insights you gain and find someone to talk with about the ideas you gleam.

3 - Admit failure and uncertainty
There's often a pressure to seem like you have it all together. "You don't know your major yet!? You don't have a five year plan?! You must be the worst person ever." Okay, so it might not always be that dramatic, but it can feel that way sometimes.

Don't be afraid to answer these questions honestly, especially when talking to friends. Admit that you are still trying to figure it out. Some of the most successful people I've met aren't afraid to say "I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up." 

I've noticed that most of the successful people I admire, talk to, and read about, seem to embrace uncertainty and failure like friends. It's not that the processes are fun (they're not!) but they understand that they are a mandatory part of the journey.

There's nothing like being given permission to admit you're unsure and afraid. Be honest and give others permission to talk about the failure and uncertainty in their lives. When you admit your failures/uncertainties, you can almost see people relax, their shoulders drop, their breathing slows, and they think, "ahh, finally, I don't have to pretend. We can be real here for a moment." 

Create those conversations and bask in the honesty.

4 - Know that it's the worst
Okay, so, as an overachiever I've got to be honest: I hate failure and uncertainty! If you're one of those people who are all zen about failure and uncertainty then good for you, please share your tips in the comments below. But here's the honest truth, as an overachiever, I've found that it's not about having to love failure and uncertainty - it's about learning how to survive it and then let the act of surviving it build your confidence instead of tearing it down permanently (even if it does shake it for a while).

Failure curls me into a little ball on the stairs, in wracking sobs. Uncertainty makes me feel like I'm having a panic attack on the inside while moving in slow motion on the outside. 

Knowing that coming up against setbacks (and sometimes feeling terrible about it) is normal (and a required part of success) is what keeps me from giving up. Steps 1-3 are what keep me going forward.

When you do hit a wall, a setback, a failure, or a moment when you're almost paralyzed by the uncertainty of your future, know that it's okay if it makes you feel terrible. Talk to someone. Don't go through it alone. It's okay to cry. It's also okay to adjust your direction. Sometimes it's good to quit. The key is just not to give up on you. 

And be careful not to "avoid failure" so much so that you also avoid the kind of success that might mean the most to you, the kind of overachieving that you really dream of, the kind that is impossible without risk and uncertainty, the kind that might involve breaking a few rules (or being okay with a B...;)). 

"Success and failure are not two separate roads...success and failure are on the same road, just picture success farther down that road." - Dr. Cathy Collautt

Success Series: How to succeed when you're afraid or 5 things to help you move forward even when you're scared

A student asks a question about being terrified of starting college, and in this video I share the 5 things I do to help me move forward even when I'm afraid...which is a lot.

Check out the video on YouTube here!

5 things to do the day after a conference

I just returned from the Phi Theta Kappa international convention, also known as Nerd Nation. 

And it was, in a word, epic. 

But, it always is.

Conferences have a way of imbuing a sense of hope and possibility. 

Connecting w/ my readers @ conferences inspires me to keep going.

Some people are able to take the knowledge and excitement they get from a convention and apply it to their lives, while others enjoy the event but somehow find themselves coming down hard back to "real life" and can't figure out how to translate the convention excitement and motivation into the daily grind.

Do not let that conference excitement you're feeling go to waste. It's very real and can be important fuel for your future if you know how to use it. 

Here are five things I do the day after every conference that I hope help you make the most of your post-conference motivation:

1) Journal
Before you do anything else take a moment and reflect on the conference experience. What did you learn? What was your favorite part? What do you want to change? Who do you want to be? What are you inspired to do?

2) Translate notes into action items
Hopefully you took some notes during the conference when an idea struck you or a speech caught your attention. Translate each note into an action item on your to-do list so those ideas do not get lost. 

3) Follow up with all your new friends
Get all the business cards you collected and/or check your social media channels for all the new friends you met. Reach out with an e-mail or a message reflecting on your conversation and following up on any action-items you both discussed. Schedule a call to talk more with anyone you really clicked with. 

4) Take a walk
Take at least five minutes to walk outside - whether it's on campus or outside your home, just get outside and move. Conferences are highly stimulating and you have so much swirling around in your sub-concious. A walk is a great time to let that knowledge settle and then connect into good ideas.  

5) Do one big thing
After your walk come back to the action items you wrote down in step #2 and choose the one item that could have the biggest impact on your life and DO IT IMMEDIATELY.

Seriously.

Now. 

Why are you still reading this? 

Go!!!!!


;) 

Success Series: Humility vs. Arrogance (which one gets you farther?)

I've been reading about success since I was a sophomore in high school - I asked for the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens for Christmas that year (nerd alert! I know, I know...). 

In this series I'm going to be revealing the top success qualities I've seen both in books and in the lives of real successful people so that you can use them to be successful in whatever it is you're pursuing right now. 

Success Series - Qualities of the Young & Successful

week 1 - humility

If you want to be successful, especially at a young age, there is a crucial thing you must have: humility.

Arrogance can get some people far, but I believe that, especially when you're young, humility pays much higher dividends in the long run.

Here's how to tell the difference and see where you are now:

The arrogant person thinks s/he knows everything.
The humble person knows s/he has much to learn.

The arrogant person uses people to get ahead.
The humble person tries to help people with what s/he knows.

The arrogant person talks only about him/her self.
The humble person listens more than s/he talks. 

The arrogant person thinks s/he can only win if you lose.
The humble person thinks there's enough success to go around. 

The arrogant person thinks s/he has all the answers.
The humble person is excited to find the answers. 

The arrogant person thinks about how to elevate his/her own status.
The humble person thinks about how to make others feel important.

The arrogant person gives unsolicited advice.
The humble person solicits advice. 

Whether you're just focusing on being successful in your current classes or you have a big dream you're reaching for, the good news is that humility can get you far.

You don't have to have all the answers, and you don't have to pretend to be someone you aren't. People are drawn to humility, especially in a culture that often makes us feel like we should always look like we have all the answers on our own. 

When you draw others to you, you draw on the resources necessary for success in anything you're trying to accomplish. 

No one is successful alone, and arrogance repels. 

Humility helps build the relationships that make success happen. To be young and successful you'll need an army of mentors and leaders who can teach you what they know and connect you to others who can move you forward.

Humility doesn't mean that you should put yourself down, hide in a corner, or not try. It just means that you are focused less on your image of success and more on actually contributing or creating something meaningful (for your community, your world, or maybe even for your next class project). 

You don't have to have all the answers to go for big dreams, you just have to be willing to find them, willing to seek help, and willing to admit you don't know everything. 

Try it. It's kind of liberating. 

Be sure to subscribe to the blog via e-mail in the top right-hand corner to stay on top of the Success Series. Next week I'll be talking about how to increase your confidence (yes - humility and confidence can go hand in hand!).

Video: The 2 options you have after failure

How to be successful at a young age

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be successful at a young age?

The Zuckerburgs the Biebers the Swifts….how do they do it?

Many of us millennials feel desperate for success right after college – and then feel deeply depressed when we feel like we’ve failed after only a few years and wonder why we aren’t wunderkinds yet.

The truth is, success takes a lot of time and a strategic plan. But the good news is, you may not have to wait as long as you think.

I recently read a great book I wanted to share with you that can help: Secrets of the Young & Successful by Jennifer Kushell & Scott M. Kaufman.

I recognized many of the strategies in the book that I’ve implemented and continue to implement in my own life, and I really enjoyed the straight-forward and fun way Jennifer writes (I love when she writes in the hard-to-do second person).

I also think you'll love the activities in the beginning of the book that help you get to know yourself and better figure out what the heck you’d like to do when you grow up. Even though I've figured out a lot in the past few years, I still opened up a word document and did some of the activities; they helped me clarify a lot of things and rev up a lot of excitement for where they can go. 

So what is one of the biggest secrets to being successful when you’re young?

Start young. Or rather…start NOW (for all you young at heart ;))

Malcolm Gladwell (in his fantastic book Outliers) explains that it takes about 10,000 hours (approx. 10 years) to be great at something.

I often use this theory to play the “10,000 hours game” I made up. When I see a big celebrity, athlete, or professional winning the top awards and hitting their stride in their industry I do a quick Google search and count backwards to see when they started working on their craft. It’s shockingly accurate that most of began about 10 years prior.

You can be very successful at a young age, but will require 10,000 hours, focus, dedication, and the diligence to learn everything you can about what it is you want to do….right now.

Are you up for the challenge?

This book is a great start.

As a reminder, I only recommend books I've read and think are truly wonderful. This is not an advertisement but a genuine resource I think can help you in your journey towards success in college and beyond :)

The only two things you need to know about networking

I just started sharing quick networking tips on Tout, and it's made me think a lot about networking.

I've realized that while there's always a lot of tips and ideas that can help you figure out who to network with and how to make that first approach, in the end it all boils down to two simple things: 

1. Word Hard
2. Make Friends

The end. :) 

Okay I'll explain a bit, though I'm sure you already see where this is going. 

Note: When I talk about networking, I'm not talking about the sleazy kind of using-people to get ahead kind of thing, because, really, that doesn't work. I'm talking about the most powerful kind of networking, the kind that moves people up ladders and towards their dreams through a mutually beneficial community. 

Work Hard
Before you start to think about networking, you'll first want to develop a strong work ethic. You don't have to know what you want to do with your life, but you do absolutely have to work hard at whatever it is you are doing. People with a strong work ethic are constantly growing, and thus have something to offer about when they meet new people. 

As your career blossoms, as it does for hard-working people, you will eventually be able to help your network too. But in the meantime, being  a hard-worker gives you something meaningful to talk about; you're able to share your mutual love of wanting to make a difference in the world. 

To develop your work ethic, read books like The Compound Effect, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Outliers. Also there's this pretty cool book to help you achieve and network in college, written by the coolest author ever... ;)

Make Friends
People hire their friends -- from the President of the United States to the president of a club. And while many times it can feel unfair, it is something that will never change. The key word, though, is friends. People don't hire the sleezy people who just try to use them. And they don't hire acquaintances.

They are hiring and helping friends. Real friends. Ask anyone who has a large powerful network and they'll be able to tell you personal details about each person - stuff outside of work. They'll know about their kids, their hobbies, their personalities, their favorite weekend activities, their favorite sports teams, etc. Do you know those things about the people in your network? Make no mistake, it takes a lot of effort and selflessness to develop these kinds of rich relationships, but it is well worth it. 

My two favorite books that really focus on the friendship of networking is How to Win Friends and Influence People and The Little Black Book of Connections. 

I think we often over-think networking. In the end, it's as simple as kindergarten. Get to know people. Enjoy people. Have fun. Be yourself. You'll know you have it right when you forget the word networking all together and realize you just have a lot of great friends. 

How to keep going after failure

We’ve all heard it a million times – that failure is a requirement for success. I remember my brother had this famous oft-heard quote on a basketball poster in his room:  

“I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” - Michael Jordan

And this all sounds great. It’s especially comforting when you feel overwhelmed by failure or you’re feeling inadequate.

However, when the moment of failure actually occurs, you want to take that quote and throw it out the window.

Because it’s hard to have perspective when you’re in the eye of the failure storm. It’s ugly and hurtful and can cause you to sink so far into yourself that you extinguish all sense of hope.

And no matter how many times you try to remind yourself that failure is part of success, your brain tries to trick you and tells you that your failures aren’t part of success, that they just make you a failure.

But of course – that isn’t true. It’s not true at all.

I was at the Phi Theta Kappa convention this past week (i.e. one of the most amazing conferences ever; hope to see you there next year in CA!) and we heard Amy Chua speak, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.

This funny and intelligent Harvard-educated Yale law professor said a lot of things I’ll never forget; but the one that struck me the most was the story of when she wanted to change from being a lawyer to a professor, and applied for 100 teaching jobs.

She got 100 rejections.

And so she decided teaching wasn’t for her.

When she told her father, who had immigrated to America, he said: “only 100 rejections and you’re giving up?”

That is the immigrant mentality, she told us. And it’s a mentality many of us are losing.

We have to grab hold of it if we want to succeed. It is what made our country great, and we are in stark danger of becoming too entitled, too easily discouraged, and too unmotivated to care about moving ourselves and our country forward.

I am one of the guilty ones. Sometimes I have a failure and wallow in its mire and feel like I just can’t do anything. In my darkest moments of failure I've thought: why do I even bother; what's the point?  

Sure I’ll tell myself “failure is part of success – every great person I look up to has failed. Heck one of my favorites, Walt Disney, said it was important for every young person to have a good hard failure at least once.”

But does it really make me feel better in the moment?

Nope.

So what does?

Usually that’s when I need other people. Eventually the quotes and the ideas about failure really do help, but to get you out of that first horrible feeling of failure, good friends and family can often do the trick (e.g. like Amy's dad).

So here’s what to do when you find yourself feeling like you’ve failed at something:

1. Be sad for no more than 1 day

2. Write down all of the good qualities about yourself in a journal

3. Talk to a trusted friend or mentor about your failure and be honest about how it’s making you feel. But don’t just vent. Also ask for advice. And listen.

4. Own your part of the failure. Do not be quick to blame. Figure out what to do better next time.

5. Read an article or biography of a successful person you admire, and note their failures. More importantly – note what they did after failure that made all the difference.

6. Adopt the immigrant mentality and remind yourself that anything worth pursuing is hard, and failure inevitable.

7. Keep going.

Three for Thursday - 3 More of My Favorite Things for Your Balancing Act

It is Thursday, which means you need to remind yourself again:

Success requires balance.

So here are this week's three things for your balancing act:

1.  Pinterest -  Hopefully, most of you have already stumbled upon this awesome site. If not, here is the gist - you get to make collages - which I recommend for goal-setting - and are able to essentially click, or pin, anything that catches your fancy online. I have loved it so far - and to my surprise - it has actually been a tool to get to know a few people in a more complete way. Also, different college organizations, like NSCS, actually have their own Pinterest accounts that you can follow.

2. Playlists that never get old - Music is inherently emotional - and is one of those things that sometimes can get me moving when it comes to a project or something that I am dreading to do. I am a well-documented Taylor Swift enthusiast - so today on the ride home from a trip to my state's capitol for my job, I revisited my favorite playlist of her songs for the long ride home. This might sound cheesy - sometimes cheesy things are true - but, don't be afraid to revisit a playlist that puts you in a good mood when you feel overworked, stressed out, or just want to unwind. The tonal quality of music might be all you need to kick things into gear.

3. www.goodreads.com - I don't know much about this site, but a friend recommended it to me this week, so I am going to give it a look. The premise is that it is essentially a site for you to suggest books to friends. I am a big proponent of everyone cutting out time in their schedule to read, regardless of how much they like or dislike doing so. If you have some free time on the computer, take a look at GoodReads, let me know what you think. I am always looking for nonfiction (and a few brain candy) titles to read - let's link up and we can recommend a few titles to each other :)

I hope your week is going fantastic! If you haven't, take a look at this week's study tips - these will be a new feature for the site this year running on Tuesdays.

Let's be friends.  
Be a leader not a follower, except when it comes to Twitter. 
Or feel free to email me at advice@communitycollegesuccess.com

How to become an overnight success

The first time the idea for this post came into my head I was on my hands and knees in one of my nicest dresses picking up confetti piece by piece after a student event. The second was at a nighttime student Valentines Day event when one of the students got suddenly sick and, since it was after-hours with no janitor, security let me into the janitors closet so I could mop up the mess.

These moments are part of my first job out of college and I will never forget them. Because they remind me of what every successful person I’ve ever met or read about has told me – almost everyone starts from the bottom.

A few days ago I was talking to one of my mentors who is always full of quotes and life lessons that seem to stay with me forever; he works in entertainment and has met some wildly famous people, and in passing he said: “people who enjoy overnight success enjoy it after many years.”

We live in a culture where it seems like Justin Bieber’s come out of nowhere and giant successful companies can be created by students still in college (e.g. Mark Zuckerberg/Facebook).

It’s awesome to be young and successful but the truth is, it’s really rare.  And the danger is we are saturated with these young celebrities and successful entrepreneurs and are told that if you just have the right idea or get a college degree that money and success will come – and come fast.

But the truth is, it takes a long time. And that is a good truth to remember. Because otherwise life after college can feel really, really depressing.

And life during college can be wrought with stress and anxiety, with you wondering if you are doing what you need to do to set up your “future.” Wondering if it will be enough.

You are enough. And you can do big things and find great success in college and beyond. You just have to remember that overnight success takes years. And here is how you can make this year one.

1. Write your goals

To become successful in whatever it is you want to do, you first must define what that is. It can be anything! Success does not mean winning a Grammy or making millions. Only you can define it for yourself. But where most people miss out is that they never define it. You can always change your mind. But you must make an initial choice. And once you do – go full force!

2. Focus and practice every day

People who are successful and great at what they do are focused on what it is they want and they do something every day to move towards that goal. Every day. What could you do today to move closer to what you want for your life? Answer that question every day and then act. Sometimes it can feel like you are getting nowhere and destined to mop floors forever. But one day – that overnight success moment – you will realize all of that investment paid off.

3. Build relationships

Ask anyone whom you admire and think successful who has helped them get where they are today and I guarantee you they will be able to list people off the top of their head with no trouble. People helping people is what move success forward. Put yourself in situations where you can meet new people often and take time to get to know people you admire. You never know what can happen.

4. Put yourself out there and take opportunities
You have to be willing to put yourself in uncomfortable situations and try things you’ve never tried before, and college is the perfect place to build this habit. Notice your fears and crush them. Become an officer in a club. Become the president. Start a new club. Try for big scholarships and awards. Work really really hard and take risks.

Whenever life seems hard and you feel like you just can’t catch a break, remember the steps above and keep pushing forward. And remember that almost everyone starts at the bottom. It’s not a bad place to start.

This year Malcolm Gladwell will be the speaker at Phi Theta Kappa’s National Convention and one of his many incredible books – Outliers – elucidates how “overnight success” truly is the product of a lot of behind-the-scenes work and practice that most people never realize. Check out the short video below to see how he uncovers and explains the Beatles amazing musical success. 

Romance, Relationships, College Success?

Almost everything that I write about on this blog directly correlates with my overall belief that the building, developing, and strengthening of relationships is at the core of building success.

And, the reality is, some of the relationships in our lives that occupy the most time and attention are romantic ones.

Meeting. Talking. Dating. Boyfriends. Girlfriends. The Notebook. 

So, I wanted to be able to touch on the subject on occasion. And away we go...

I approach relationship advice in the same way that I do with any networking – it should be about positive, encouraging, and productive interactions, regardless of the intimacy involved.

So here are the top three questions that I think are worth asking if you are in, or are thinking about, engaging in a casual, or even serious, relationship. 

1. What am I looking to contribute to this connection? Like all interactions, it is probably worthwhile to consider how great of an investment you are looking to put forth. If you aren’t interested in the emotional, or even time, commitment of a serious relationship, the person involved should know ahead of time. If not, you are setting yourself up for interpersonal conflict, which doesn’t set up a situation conducive for your personal success. In other words - prevent the drama.

            2. How does the other person fulfill my expectations? If you shouldn’t settle for a career, shouldn’t settle for a college, shouldn’t settle for a major, why on earth would anyone settle in a relationship? It is okay if someone doesn’t meet  all 1000 items from your checklist or look like Ryan Gosling, but it is not okay if that person has characteristics/values that aren’t up to what you know you deserve. You deserve constant respect, affection, and support – don’t stop believing in what you deserve in any part of your life. 

3. How much have I learned about the other person? I love chick-flicks, Disney movies, and Twilight…but, those silent, mysterious, and unsolved personalities are only “dreamy” when you first meet them. For example, a company’s image might be amazing, but you want to know the employee culture before you decide you want to work there. Don’t change that rule for a personal relationship. I am not talking about going too fast or taking it too slow- people can be together for a long time without actually knowing a lot about each other or vice versa. But don't be afraid to get to know what the other person really loves and really cares about.

And most importantly, remember, this is not about what is “hot” or how to get the cute guy or girl to notice you in class – those things are fleeting.What will stay the same? The fact that you deserve relationships that improve the quality of your life.

Never forget that and you will always qualify as a dating expert :)

So, uh what are your loves and dreams? 

Let's be friends.  
Be a leader not a follower, except when it comes to Twitter. 
Or feel free to email me at advice@communitycollegesuccess.com

Crying in Community College

I cried like a little girl when I first came to community college.

There I was in the crowded advising waiting room, crouched in a corner, hoping that since I’d already been waiting there an hour they’d call my name soon. But they didn’t. I looked around at the fellow students sitting in chairs. They looked harried. Bored. Alone.

My first memory of community college was far from the glorified picture I had imagined. I originally had planned on going to a small private school on the beach that specialized in a particular major. I pictured driving down to the small campus, having my dad unload my stuff, my mom help me pick out my books, and then saying good-bye while I was off to a fun and goofy orientation where I would meet my lifelong friends.

Instead I was crying alone in a crowded room of people who looked forgotten. I was going to college where “anyone” could get in.  But what I didn’t know then that I know now, is that community college is not about “anyone” being able to get in. It’s about “everyone” being able to get in.

If it weren’t for community college I would have either had to defer my college education for a semester, or have had to put my parents in $100,000 worth of debt.

Three weeks before I was supposed to move to my dorm, I received my freshman schedule and the bill for the year - $25,000.

 I grew up in a lower middle class family and we didn’t have a lot of money to begin with. And during my high school years both of my brothers ended up in the hospital. One woke up paralyzed one morning, and weeks later the other had a seizure in the middle of the night. I’m happy to report both brothers are now in perfect health, but the hospital bills, physical therapy, and pills wiped us out.

As a first generation college student, my parents didn’t know a lot about the higher educational world. But they loved me a lot, encouraged my academic pursuits, and in their infinite love for me said they would take out loans for me to go to college wherever I wanted. I guess they were already in debt for such horrible things that going into more debt for something positive didn’t seem like a bad idea. My dad was the kind of guy who sold his car to buy me one, and my mom the kind who lived in a trailer when we were little so she could stay home with us.  

So when I opened my first college bill, my stomach dropped at the magnitude of two five’s and three zero’s staring me in the face. Was I really willing to put my parents in a total of $100,000 in debt so I could go to a private school? I knew the answer before I asked the question.

No.

So three weeks before I was supposed to move away I drove to the local community college and waited in the crowded advising room to choose my schedule.

Little did I know I had chosen so much more.

Though initially I had felt like a failure ending up in a college where “anyone” can get it, I soon realized the privilege it was to get to go to a college where everyone could get in. I met single moms looking to make a better life for their kids. I met people from other countries looking to get an education that they so desperately appreciated. I met former fast-food workers ready to take hold of their piece of the American dream.  I met first generation college students making strides in their family history.

And I met local 18-year-old students who didn’t always have the encouragement or motivation they needed in high school, but who were ready to change and take ownership of their education and their lives.  

This blog is dedicated to all of those incredible students I met in my two years at community college. It is also dedicated to the inspiring students I talk to every day in my job as a Student Life coordinator.

This blog is for any community college student who ever felt like crying during their college experience. It’s for any community college student who wants to get good grades, graduate, and make a difference in the world with their talents. This blog is for anyone who is willing to go the extra mile, listen to the advice of the experienced, and make the most of every opportunity.

This blog will feature the most vital strategies and tips that helped me succeed in community college. It will also feature a lot of advice I wish someone had given me while in college. I will share stories, musings, and interviews with some of the most successful community college graduates I know.

Every blog will come with a challenge or a call to action that is guaranteed to help you reach your goals and break the barriers that sometimes hold you back from the potential you know you have.  How can I make such a guarantee? Because I will never give you a challenge that didn’t work for me.

So with the beginnings of this first blog and the beginnings of your Spring 2011 semester, I challenge you to walk through the doors of your first class and really notice the people around you. Resist the temptation to focus on your phone in those sometimes awkwardly quiet moments before the professor walks in. And start a conversation with someone. Ask them if they’ve heard anything about this class. Compliment them. Engage.

And today’s challenge comes with a bonus challenge for only the truly dedicated. Sit in the front.

Every good thing that happened to me in college happened because of an incredible peer or professor.  Take the time to get to know them. Amazing things will come from those connections.

How do I know? Because I also ended my community college experience crouched on the floor crying. But that time it was because the President surprised me with the announcement that I had won the $110,000 Jack Kent Cooke scholarship. Around me friends I had made while at community college cried for me. Professors who wrote the scholarship recommendation letters hugged me. In that moment the “community” of community college was all around me, and I knew I had made the best choice of my life.

Make your choice to go to community college a great one. And I’ll be here to help in any way that I can.

Signing off on today’s Monday Morning Motivation,

Isa