Category: Blog

Enjoy the Ride: A Confusing College Rollercoaster

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When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother ‘What will I be?’

Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? Here’s what she said to me:

Que sera sera. Whatever will be, will be.

The future is not ours to see.

What will be, will be.

My mom would sing this song to me as a lullaby whenever I had a difficult time falling asleep. I would drift off to sleep while fantasizing about my future. Oh, imagine the possibilities! Like Jennifer Garner on 13 Going on 30, I couldn’t wait for the day when I would finally become “thirty and flirty and thriving.”

Fast forward to college where all my hopes and dreams were crushed by reality. Just kidding. It wasn’t that dramatic. What happened was as I got to know myself more, I eventually realized that my motivations, values, and interests didn’t align with the career paths I was pursuing. Before I took the time to reflect on what matters to me and why, I was just a little sheep following the herd. Law school, foreign service, NGO advocacy, research, consulting, human resource management – I dabbled into all of them. By the end of my sophomore year, I had all these experiences without a direction. I had no idea what I wanted to do.

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Dear 21-Year-Old

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A few hours before my 22nd birthday, my roommate showed me the video, “How to Age Gracefully” by CDC Radio Wire Tap. Immediately after watching this incredibly powerful video, I was inspired to write this post. So, yes, I’m spending my last hour of being 21 writing to my 21-year-old self. Please watch the video below before reading on.

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Adult Heartbreaks

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Sometimes I wish I could go back to the emo days of blasting My Chemical Romance on my now ancient iPod nano. Enraptured by the angst-filled music, I would imagine going through the gut-wrenching heartbreak that the songs described. When you’re thirteen and your crush didn’t add you on his Myspace Top 8, that was heartbreaking enough.

Lately, it seems like my close friends and family are dealing with disappointments; disappointments over failed romantic relationships,  mental health challenges, and limited job prospects. And even though this emotion is not the heartbreak described by sad love songs, there are times when my heart feels much heavier. It’s sad to see a loved one hurting, but it’s even worse to know that there’s nothing you can do to alleviate their pain.

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Beat the Alarm Clock: What Drives You Each Day?

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I’m a heavy sleeper. I set alarm clocks on five-minute intervals, snooze them all, and then get up 30 minutes later. On my off-days, the process of leaving my bed could take up an entire hour.

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I have come to terms with the fact that I am – and will never be – a morning person. Yet, Alex Tonelli, co-founder of Funding Circle, visited Koru last week and asked us, “What would make you beat the alarm clock?” In other words, what would motivate you to wake up hours ahead of your regular schedule? To drag your heavy body off the warm bed at 5am rather than at 7am?

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Misfortunes and Miracles: A “Gritty” Search for a Summer Internship

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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…”

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