Professional Chronicles
Enjoy my professional chronicles related to aquired knowledge and experiences within that realm.
Continue Aligning Yourself To What You Like
Written by Elexus Liggins | Edited by Jamie Wills | Final Revision by Jen & Paper Editorial
Updated - Monday, September 4th, 2023, make final revisions.
In my blog post, I provide guidance to evaluate the advice you receive from others within the professional arena of your life. Figuring out what to do in your life is essential. However, following your instincts and being strategic will help you tremendously to do the best work that aligns with you. My experiences will inspire others to reflect on their lives and provide ease of constant redirection or stagnation. Thank you for taking the time to read my content.
Disclaimer: This post may contain potentially triggering content related to death and severe injury.
Section 1: Personal Note About My Sentiments To This Topic
An ode to the thousands of pieces of advice you will receive throughout your life: When someone gives you advice, always take it as a suggestion first, because you never know which direction will be useful to you. After you have received the advice, take a moment to reflect on how you felt when you received it—this is helpful to gauge whether it is true, even if it stings or does not resonate well with you.
Next, you want to evaluate where and from whom you got this advice by using the three questions on advice that you are receiving from others (including me!)
Does the person I received this advice lead a life I aspire to live?
Does the person I received this advice from consider my best interests?
Does the person I received this advice from follow the advice they give to others?
Consider that as you read the rest of the blog post.
One of the primary pieces of advice one could have in the course of their life is, "You need to stick to, and invest in, one solid career path for the rest of your life," which could be useful now but may not be true in the current era and society that we live in. For me, this advice has typically come from strangers or even my family. I went against this advice as I have ventured into various industries and held different positions over time. Allow me to share with you a seed of inspiration that was planted in my mind during the third grade. My love for the written word began in that time frame, and I started reading as a fun pastime. This is when the dream of becoming an author came to fruition, as it aligned most with my soul, heart, and body.
In high school, my dreams began to change. I was watching the fictitious show Criminal Minds and becoming an FBI agent, like the characters, became my new wish. I wanted to become an FBI agent, so I took the necessary steps to get more exposure to this field. I enrolled in an amazing teacher's "Intro to Criminal Justice" class, which got me hooked! I loved learning about the explanation of the types of crimes that existed and the very famous phrase you can picture yourself hearing from movies, "innocent until proven guilty.” Later on, I took another class in the criminal justice track, which was more intense, but I did really well with my final project, where I was assigned to defend the defendant in court. It was a fictional case based on a real lawsuit where the defendant was a woman who was a victim of domestic violence. I was a little uncomfortable when the teacher kept making everything about race in terms of racial bias and profiling (at the time, I did not understand the gravity of how this affects people today). This kind of put me off a little. The breaking moment that ensured the pivot was when a cop shared with us that the worst thing he had seen was a decapitated baby, which horrified me. To add to that, he said that he had seen a lot of dead bodies. This part right here is what broke my heart because I never wanted to see people get hurt or deceased. I also learned that you normally start off as a police officer before you get recruited by the FBI. This dream plummeted faster than an avalanche.
Later in high school, I heard about this amazing program that offered dual credit from college in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field—which piqued my interest. Nothing comes for free, so there were stipulations. The conditions were that it was a 2-year commitment that required devotion from my junior to senior year, I had to get accepted into the program, and this required me to be at the high school by 6 A.M. to catch the bus that took us to the college. This cemented the direction of where I was headed. (Big shoutout to my mom and family; they were very gracious and cared for my success! They sacrificed sleep to get up really early to take me to that program.)
It was a great program that came at no financial cost to us students. We would go to our prospective college; in my case, mine would be the one focused on computer classes. We would attend the classes and have a few break times, which paralleled the college experience. We needed our breaks because our courses could range from survivable to extremely intense. After finishing our courses in the morning, we would be dropped off back at our schools for lunch. Once we arrived, we would hang out in the career counselor's office until we were released to lunch or our next class. I would spend my time there helping students fill out their financial aid and prep tests because I really enjoyed doing that—if I had finished my homework in time.
The first year in the program was intense as these were our introductory courses like “Intro to Hardware” or “Networking.” These programs required that we complete an internship in our Information Technology (IT) field, so I completed my first internship at the Chamber of Commerce, where I met my fantastic mentor, who would become one of the best people I met in my professional life.
The next year was a challenge as the coursework got harder, and the lack of sleep was catching up to me. Regarding rest, most of us would chit-chat a little and then nap on our way to campus, and others would just pass out as soon as their butts hit that somewhat comfortable bus seat. To skip to the great parts, I graduated from my dual credit program and then from high school. My career paths were constantly changing over the years. My final internship experience determined a new path for my career.
During the summer of my senior year in high school, I interned as an IT helpdesk intern for a great company. One day, one of the employees announced that there would be an ice cream social and encouraged folks to head over there and get some. I am moderately extroverted, so this was fantastic news in my book because I would not only get the chance to get delicious ice cream, but I would also have the chance to socialize with others. I was delighted and shared with the other IT folks about the ice cream social; those lovely, introverted folks were composed and uninterested. However, they encouraged me to follow my desire for ice cream. And I did. I was disappointed with the overall internship when it came to the work as I intensely disliked repairing computer hardware repair.
Additionally, I did not feel a sense of belonging there due to a mismatch between the work environment and my personality. As a people person who enjoys connection with others, the lack of enthusiasm I experienced from this social work event turned me off. That was when I realized I was not destined to work as an IT person. The failure of my course and my realization from my last internship during my senior year solidified my decision to leave the STEM field altogether.
This year, I was figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. What was next? At that time, I was considering pursuing computer programming for my career. I thought of applying to universities, but my Grade Point Average (GPA) was not as good as some of the schools required, so I decided to go to the community college in my town to earn my associate's degree and later transfer to a university of my choice. That was the safe choice so I could prepare for a better shot into a great university.
Section 2: What Happened In This Topic
Combining dedication, skills, and ambition can change our life trajectories.
In my first two years of community college, I quickly discovered that my dreams of becoming a computer programmer were over. I took a class called "Intro to C++," which is known as one of the most difficult computer coding languages to learn. I was taking this class online and had other in-person courses to worry about. At this time, I had to adjust to how challenging college coursework was compared to high school. I had to pick between getting an “F” for failure on my transcript or a "W" for withdrawal. I decided to withdraw from the course so that it wouldn’t impact my GPA .
One day I went to the career center at my community college to arrange an appointment to meet with my career advisor. I ran into a friend and asked her where she was interested in attending university. She gave me the name of a school that I had never heard of, and I asked her why she was going. I don't remember her answer, but I remember grabbing the brochure to the school she mentioned when I left the building. This was such an interesting plot twist to my life because I was so concentrated on one university that it was hard to deny the reality that I might not get admitted. I did a little bit of research afterward. I loved how beautiful the school and its surroundings looked in the brochure as it was aesthetically appealing. Since I was changing my major from STEM to a liberal arts program, International Studies was the final reason for me to apply to the school. I submitted my application. This university was five hours away from my hometown, but it was the new chapter I needed. That is when I selected my major, "International Studies with a focus on Security and Diplomacy," and I minored in "Spanish" as well.
Section 3: Provide the "How" and "Why" Of this Topic
I encourage you to continue aligning yourself with what you like to do. Whether your profession aligns with your personal mission or effortlessly matches your best skills: take the leap. Over the years, I have changed from third grade up until now. At this moment of my life, I have chosen to honor the desires that my third grade self had - to be an author. I want to write a book eventually, but I have decided to become a blogger in my free time. This dream has been calling me from the bottom of my soul. My heart has been feeling inspired, passionate, and more than alive, so this tells me it is the right thing to do.
I want to leave you with the idea that you get to decide if you will strive to shatter the glass ceiling of whatever you want to accomplish or take it easy. That is your call to make.
But, I assure you that any of these professional aspirations will take work and must not come at the expense of yourself at all. You should not burn yourself out or deplete yourself at alarming levels—you should respect your limits and honor the other aspects of your life as well. All parts of your life should be complementary to each other. You are in charge of your destiny. No matter what, you should lean into your support systems and make new connections! You never know what the future holds, and your present life is what matters the most.
Section 4: Reflection Piece - Forgiveness, Grace, Acceptance, Gratitude, and Best Wishes
Through my journey, I have learned to accept my mistakes and embrace the uncertainty of the future. Every pivot that has occurred propelled me into a new direction with even better opportunities and more amazing people to collaborate with or befriend. I am grateful for the kind guidance and support bestowed upon me by those who have walked with me on my journey. The knowledge and skills I have gained through their unwavering assistance are priceless, and I will forever cherish the memories of their invaluable contributions to my growth and development. I move forward, ready to continue growing and learning—no matter where I go.
Much success to you,
Elexus Liggins
The Trajectory of Your Life Is Your Responsibility
Written by Elexus Liggins | Edited by Jamie Wills | Final Revision by Jen & Paper Editorial
Updated - Monday, September 4th, 2023, make final revisions.
Section 1: Personal Note About My Sentiments To This Topic
An ode to the young, naive person that thought they knew it all and had it all figured out. When I thought that I knew it all, there were people who knew more than me, were more eloquent in their speech, and made me feel small in their presence. When I thought I had it all figured out, I did not anticipate the real challenges that I was going to face crossing that line from grade school to a more intense academic program. I was not prepared for the number of sleepless nights and the amount of time spent cross-referencing my work to make sure that I did not commit plagiarism–– one of the most serious crimes in the academic arena. However, that was a natural part of the college experience that I had to learn about. The challenges became failures until I had to get myself back up. I fell down hard! I told myself I would improve my grades to enhance my chances of getting into university, but I did worse.
Section 2: What Happened In This Topic
Senior year was quite intense since I was busy trying to complete as many scholarship applications as possible. One of them required me to interview at this specific sorority house. This was a sacrifice that we made since we had to go early on a Saturday morning. This was a lot for my mom because she already sacrificed her weekdays to drop me off at my program and, on top of that, had to use a Saturday from her days off from work, which was absolutely criminal. To top it off, as one would with a cherry on top, it was my mom’s birthday, so that made it beyond criminal. I think my mom had told me, “I better earn the scholarship, or she would feel like our efforts were wasted.” I told her that I was hoping for the same. (Once again, big shoutout to my mom for being awesome and helping me secure the bag for college on HER birthday!)
This was the first scholarship I had to interview for, so I was extremely nervous that I would say the wrong things and fail. My turn to interview with the panel of four Black women came up––I was scared! Some of the Black women I interacted with when I was young were strict and came off as intimidating, so I was worried. I remember trying to study as much as possible because I had to answer the questions efficiently, accurately, and respectfully. There were questions that I did not prepare well for, like the question, “What do you know about our organization?” This was the question I barely even glanced at when I was preparing for the interview, which meant that I should’ve researched the sorority more—but I did not. I tried my best with this question and spun it back to them: helping people like me advance in a complicated field like computer programming. While I was answering questions, all the ladies were quite serious, and when I looked at their faces, I could not tell what they were thinking. As someone who catastrophizes by thinking of the worst-case scenario, I already knew that none of these ladies would pick me as a scholarship candidate. I left the venue and would never hear back from them.
The second scholarship that crossed my path was one that came from my amazing college counselor from high school. I remember that she asked if she could speak with me after I had arrived from my dual credit classes. I went into her office, and she told me, “Elexus, I have seen you help out these students during your free time—you fill out their student financial aid and college applications for the past two years. You have been an outstanding student who helps her peers, so I want to select you as one of the recipients of a $1,000 scholarship that a senior living home is giving.” I was so delighted and beyond grateful for such an opportunity. At this time, I did not know that college was more expensive than I thought.
Finally, the last scholarship I earned that year was $4,000 from the college’s general scholarship foundation program. This scholarship was intended for a student pursuing a STEM degree, who would ultimately transfer to a 4-year university to earn their bachelor’s degree. If I am not mistaken, I think it was also intended for a first-generation college student or a member of an underrepresented community. The scholarship would be divided into four years so that it would be deposited at the community college for two years, and then it would apply to my last two years at university. Clearly, I had a few stipulations that I had to meet, and one of them was to maintain a 3.0 or more during my time in post-secondary education.
What is the common thread between these scholarships? Well, all of this money did not go to me in the end.
Let’s start with the scholarship that my college counselor nominated me for. When she shared the news, I was under the impression that I had too much money from all the other scholarships that I received. I was also receiving Federal Pell Grants because I come from a low-income family. Naturally, with these thoughts in my head, I decided to tell my college counselor, “Thank you so much for this nomination. I am so grateful that you thought of me for this scholarship. I have too much money that I have earned from other scholarships so I think you should give this scholarship to another student in need.” I loved this about myself, always paying it forward for others to have opportunities, so I was not disappointed in myself because of that. I was disappointed in myself for declining this scholarship because I believed there was such a thing as “having too much money” for school—when in reality, the amount I had was insufficient. All of this happened because I did not understand that I needed to have more money for school, or I would end up in debt.
The second scholarship, which required an interview: I earned that scholarship! After all the anxiety and negative thinking, I managed to get it, so I was proud of myself. During the first year of community college, I was too lazy to complete the paperwork and get the documentation requested to have the sorority send my check to the school. Time flew by, and I missed the deadline and lost that hard-earned $1,000. All because I did not want to do the easy work.
The final scholarship that was $4,000 over four years I ended up losing within my first year because I was not supposed to withdraw from a class since I had to have a maximum number of classes and my grade point average went below a 3.0. I believe it was a 2.8 or 2.9 (maybe lower, I try not to remember those dark days). I withdrew from the class because failing it would have been a terrible scenario and would have significantly tanked my GPA more than it already did.
Section 3: Provide the “How” and “Why” Of this Topic
I want to leave you with the idea that you get to increase your chances of success by putting in the effort, asking more clarifying questions, and never assuming that you know everything.
I lost $6,000 dollars in one year because I did not understand how expensive college would be in the long run. I could have decreased the amount of debt I have today if I had done better. I lost that amount of money because I did not ask for help from my professors when I was struggling and simply chose the easy escape route by dropping my class so it would not affect my overall grade. The final reason for losing that money was that I allowed myself to do nothing regarding that second scholarship I had worked so hard for. I let my laziness take over me instead of doing what I needed to do when the hard part was already done: the interviewing! After the failure of losing the money, I also had to work hard to recover from my grade's downward plummet. My GPA at this time worked against my original goal of having better grades so I could transfer to the school of my dreams. The most frustrating part of all of this was that I continuously disappointed myself and went against my own desires. I was my own worst enemy in this case, no one else. At the end of the day, you are responsible for the trajectory of your life.
Section 4: Reflection Piece - Forgiveness, Grace, Acceptance, Gratitude, and Best Wishes
I have always thought that if I were to share some advice with people younger than me or those navigating the discovery phases of life, this was one of the things I would advise. Throughout my life, I have been an ambitious and dedicated person. For the most part, I have fought hard for the desires that I wanted and earned them. I am the kind of person who does what it takes to accomplish my dreams and goals.
Unbeknownst to me, I was my own barrier to success with these scholarships! This was the first time I had to re-evaluate myself in my academic life because I was doing it wrong.
I forgive myself now, of course, because all of the failures from my past are lessons that have served me well. These lessons have contributed to my success as well—the success of choosing a profession or job that aligns with my personal mission. Who knows where I would have been if I stayed in the STEM field? I am happy where I am at now (not doing STEM). I have given myself grace since I was quite young and had to make those small mistakes. Most people in my life had always told me that I seemed more mature than the age I currently was, but in this case, I was very immature. I suppose I needed a change of pace and a new direction, or so I would like to think. I would like to emphasize that there should always be time for rest, relaxation, and fun but always in moderation (of course!). Because of this lesson, I learned that I was solely responsible for the trajectory of my life.
I could spend my days blaming my childhood, my background, and my circumstances, or I could take all of those factors (analyze, review, and reflect on them) and find the resources and connections to get to where I want to be.
Without a doubt, I can never leave behind the dedication, passion, and ambition to be that trailblazer.
Much success to you,
Elexus Liggins