Full Circle

“Sometimes, life brings you full circle to a place you’ve been before, just to show you how much you’ve grown.”

Rewind to last Tuesday, when I sent this email:

This Tuesday, I was back at Ball State. In the SAME event planning class. Sharing my story. 

Ben and I got lunch before class. As we were catching up, he told me his class this semester is super smart but a fairly quiet bunch; it might be hard to get them talking. My immediate thought: Challenge Accepted. 

The night before, I created my "presentation" so there was a lot of interaction in it. I wanted to make it a "chat" where I would talk WITH the class, not TO the class. I had several questions planted in my Powerpoint, and I even brought "goodies" to hand out to people who were engaging in the conversation. It was my mission to connect with the students!

Class started and before I knew it, I was standing in front of 40 students. It then hit me, I'm no longer a student. Here I am, on the other side of the table. Sharing my story. And oh, what an amazing experience it was!

The students weren't hidden behind their laptops or cell phones.
Their heads weren't down or buried in a book.
They were actually listening to me.
Answering my questions.
Asking questions. 
Engaging. 

As I wrapped up my presentation, I shared with the class: You never know who you are going to meet. Get involved. Immerse yourself in this world. Make connections. Because these experiences, will eventually lead to opportunities down the road. 

Since Tuesday, I've received emails from 6 students inquiring about part-time positions with Qtego. They also reassured me that going back to Ball State was definitely worth my time and theirs!

"With you being from BSU, and knowing you were sitting in our seats just two years ago, I found it exciting and easier to relate to you. Your presentation was very intriguing to me."

"As you mentioned today, any experience we can get is super important."

"Thank you so much for taking the time to come and talk with us.  I had no idea that a company like this existed, and it got me really excited."

Going back to Ball State meant more to me than words can even explain. Connecting with students, and giving them a little direction, much like Kimberly did for me 2 years ago. That's what this is all about! It's amazing how life has a way of coming full circle. In that moment, I realized how much I've grown, in just two short years.