Education in Community

Back in April, Anne Walter wrote “The Importance of Education,” and while I might be biased as an intern currently in college, I couldn’t agree with the article more. Pursuing a college degree has vastly changed my outlook on life, and my potential for the future. In the article, she mentioned the “broader social exposure” it can bring, and I wanted to talk more about that; specifically, the education community can bring.

            Both my parents are blue collar workers, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunities they’ve provided me with and the ethics they instilled in me. However, when it came to how to build my resume or learning what an office job looks like, I was on my own. Then, on a whim, I applied to a professional engineering society at UMich (one that another intern happens to be in at her college!). What I thought would be mostly just a social club quickly turned into rigorous professional development, with some fun on the side. I was grilled with resume reviews, mock interviews, and delivering elevator pitches to groups to work on my public speaking abilities. At first, I hated every minute of it. The last thing I ever wanted to do after studying Laplace transforms for hours on end was to turn around and be told I wasn’t using the STAR format well enough. But slowly, as my skills improved and career fairs became less daunting, I appreciated just how much I’d grown as a young professional. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a long, long way to go, but the community I found at Michigan turned an idea so abstract to me into something within reach, something manageable. That’s what makes college worth everything to me. Classes and formal education are great, but the people you meet, and the improvements they can help you find, are invaluable.

            Now, as I approach my one-month mark with Mettle Ops, I find myself saying the exact same thing. I’ve worked in food service for the past 4 and a half years, and I was terrified to make the jump to a job that didn’t require a hairnet. But the culture of support and care here has made sure those fears were never justified. While I’ve been able to learn the technical side of an internship, such as how software like LabVIEW works (or that it even exists) and how to analyze hardware datasheets, I’ve also been blessed with an ability to learn soft skills. Programs like Right Seat, Left Seat established a mentor I could reach out to for learning how to fit in, and the Young Professionals Group gave me a group that was like me, and who could keep pushing me forward. Here, I’ve learned soft skills that seemed so confusing to me as someone who’s only worked labor jobs. How do you ask a question? How do you best collaborate and communicate with your coworkers? How do you prioritize tasks? College can truly be an isolated learning environment where you only report to yourself, so learning skills like these truly is unique to when you’re in a community, especially a workplace community. So again, I must emphasize that a simple college degree is less than half the battle, and the social exposure it brings is the rest of it.

            Long story short, I’m only where I am because of the people who’ve taken the time in my communities to help uplift me. To all of them, thank you so, so much. I, and everyone else, can only get so far and only learn so much if we stay by ourselves and stay isolated. So be grateful to all those around you. This is also an encouragement to everyone to reach out to someone new who’s in your community, you’ll never know what kind of lessons can be taught as you simply just pursue a friendship.