As soon as I came up with the basic idea behind Career Compass, I knew immediately that my passionate future politician friend, Anushka, would be a perfect fit as my first interviewee. From our years of art classes together, I'd learned about her impressive self-starting attitude towards gaining work experience and internships, which would be exactly what I knew I and many other students would love to learn more about.
Knowing that she'd developed her interest for policy from such a young age, the biggest thing I learned from her is to never let obstacles stop you. People make excuses that they are too young, don't have the time, or the connections to find opportunities- but in reality, that's all they are: excuses. Through Anushka's journey, starting out as an average curious middle schooler to a master of political campaigns, it grows clear that being ambitious and seeking out opportunities with persistence triumphs any fears or hesitations.
Being friends with him since second grade, Timmy, like Anushka, has always been a self-starter, not letting others' opinions alter his own goals and aspirations. From his interview and familiarity with his personality, my most impactful takeaway would be to not be afraid of constantly evolving and staying true to yourself. Timmy has been multi-talented in film, math, and basically anything imaginable, and yet, he found a way to bridge his interests in an interdisciplinary path of psychology and media.
As I write this, I'm starting to realize that I was basically childhood friends with all of these people (lol) which is probably influencing what I took away from their interview experiences or their journeys into their passions in general. Besides that point, Katie is probably one of the most positive and encouraging people you'll ever meet. As someone who often drifts her mind back to regrets or the past, it was super refreshing to speak with someone who seems to just enjoy the things you have in the present, cherishing the friends, teachers, and parents around you.
My interview with her actually resulted from her seeing me interviewing Timmy, and she then came up to me saying that "she really wanted to be interviewed." That interaction just reinforced my admiring her ability to advocate for herself and seizing opportunities. I've known Niraali since first grade, and through these years, she has never been hesitant to explore new things, from singing to color guard, staying true to her own passions and not losing sight of her own path.
Aiden, out of these 5 interviews, was the person I knew least about prior to our interview. I met him in our AP Drawing class, and his work was always super eye-catching and impressive to my peers and me-- not only because of the painting strokes to the use of color, but also because of the meaning and purpose behind each of his works. Featured at the Saratoga Library, Aiden's works defied the bounds of art, sending a deeper message of protecting endangered bird species. From his interview and his exhibition, it's inspired me to delve deeper than surface level in my own creative works, figuring out the "WHY" beyond just the skill of what you do.
Watch Anushka's video and the other mentioned interviews on our YouTube Channel!
As I continue on my own journey of conversations in and out of Career Compass, I'm sure I'll have lots more to add. If you didn't get the chance to read every word of this blog post, my lasting takeaway for you would be: the fact that there are so many unique aspects that I can takeaway from each conversation just goes to show the power of fostering curiosity and connecting with others. Even if you're not going down the same path, what they say might illuminate a new one for you.
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