Last Friday, during a family vacation on the island of Kauai, I received a voicemail notification on my phone. My phone then prompted me to enter a PIN code to access my voicemail – a step I never had to do. I found it odd, but I didn’t think much of it since I recently had to replace my sim card when I moved back to California on June 1st (I had a French mobile plan while studying abroad). As expected, the first message was an automated voicemail from our cable provider. Yet, to my surprise, there was a second message. Unbeknownst to me until that day, my voicemail had been locked since I got a new sim card. My voicemail system recited the date of the message in a dead, mechanic tone: May 21st, 2015. A chill went down my spine. Knowing my luck, I had an inkling of what it was going to be. I hoped it wasn’t one of the summer internships I applied for while I was in France, but my worst fears were confirmed when a male voice said, “Hi Yvette, this is ______ from Warner Bros. I’m calling today about your résumé…”

Crap.

First, there was panic. What do I do with a soon-to-be-month-old interview offer? Following advice from family and friends, I called immediately and left a message for the recruiter. Yet, as soon as I hung up, the alarm turned into anger. I was frustrated at myself for missing such an important message. To think that all this time, a message from the internship program that I had anticipated the most was rotting in my inbox. My imagination went wild, torturing me with images of working at the Warner Bros. Studio backlot and rubbing shoulders with the biggest names in the entertainment industry. There I was cruising through a tropical Hawaiian island, and yet I gazed through the car window so miserably, it was as if I was shooting a music video.

I waited the next day for a return call, but I knew the damage was done. Needless to say, I was devastated. There was so much regret. Yet, I also knew that there was nothing I could do; it was out of my control.

A few months ago, I would have lamented this mishap for days. This time, I spent a few moments acknowledging my distress, responded to the situation to the best of my ability, and let go. I like to think that my new lax mentality resulted from my study abroad experience, but the fact that we were in sunny Kauai was the more probable cause.

Three days later, I interviewed with Koru. Koru is a three-week “immersive business program” that aims to coach college students and recent grads who are in the midst of entering today’s competitive job market. They connect you with their impressive list of partner companies, including LinkedIn, Airbnb, and Yelp. Today, I am happy to announce that thanks to a scholarship, I will be joining Koru’s San Francisco program in July (with Facebook as the feature employer)! Trust me, I’m freaking out too.

What drew me to Koru was their dedication to “grit rather than grades.” The word “grit” is emphasized throughout their website, especially on their blog, and I immediately identified with their mission. At a young age, I realized that doing well in school came easily to others but not for me. I wasn’t the brightest in my class, but if I had to spend extra hours poring over books to be the best then so be it. Since then, I have lived by the notion that my drive will lead me to success.

I eventually reached success academically, graduating high school with high ranks and getting into a top university. Yet contrary to the myth, academic success doesn’t always translate to a successful professional career. Despite dozens of résumé and cover letter revisions, job applications, and Skype interviews, I wasn’t able to obtain a summer internship. I was disappointed at myself; I had a set a goal, worked tirelessly for it, and yet I failed to reach it. That’s why I found the voicemail from WB to be extremely upsetting. It stayed in my inbox to mock my efforts, dangling a missed opportunity in front of my face.

Now, I realize that perhaps losing the WB internship was a “blessing in disguise” as Ate Denise said. If I had gotten that internship, I would not have discovered Koru nor learned an important lesson on grit. Koru reminded me that grit is not just about being driven, but maintaining that level of faith and determination despite failures. While I haven’t reached my goal of obtaining an internship, I am continuing to push forward – with Koru as my next big step. To quote one of my favorite Rolling Stones song: You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.