Humans of Roberts Alumni Spotlight – Giselle Harrington

What college did you attend? What was your major? Did you ever change it?

I am a Roberts Alumni and chose to major in Communication with a concentration in Marketing. I came into college as an Undecided student, and was fortunate enough to have found my passion for Communication through my placement in the “Undecided” Freshman Seminar Class (also known as the Academic Exploration Program).

How did you decide on your major/career?

I decided that Communication was the right fit for me when I realized, for the first time in my life, that I actually LIKED learning when it was about a topic I was interested in. I regrettably never tried too hard in high school, and coming to college was a really refreshing opportunity for me to explore a new subject area that I enjoyed and was naturally pretty good at. After graduating college, I found that the perfect next step for my career was working for Admissions at the Alma Mater that I knew and loved.

What do you consider your calling to be? How does your current job as a faculty member relate? Any advice or words of wisdom for students trying to find their calling?

I think I am still trying to discover my own calling. Throughout my studies at Roberts and the past 3.5 years in my current role, I think I have figured out a lot of things I like and plenty of things I don’t like, as well. I’m not sure there is one singular calling for my life, but I feel that I am consistently working to evaluate what my strengths/weaknesses are and how that can translate to a possible future vocation. My advice to any student trying to find their calling is to be gracious with yourself and go where your talents direct you. Your natural inclination/interest will point you in the right direction if you take some time to listen.

Do you have any regrets regarding your career path? Any advice to current students exploring career options?

I feel very fortunate to have had several “stepping stone” jobs that taught me a lot about myself and my strengths as it relates to my career. A little piece of advice I have is to not be afraid to make a change and explore a new career track. It is literally never too late to try something new.

What was the hardest struggle you had as a college student and how did you overcome it? What about as a faculty member?

The hardest struggle I faced as a college student was probably trying to balance my academics, busy student worker schedule, and attempting to maintain a social life. I overcame this challenge by prioritizing what was really important in my life to create a better work/balance for myself, which is sometimes hard to achieve. I still struggle with work/life balance in my current career and it can be really draining. I think when you find something you are really passionate about it is easy to get so wrapped up in it that it consumes you completely. Passion is really good to have, but it’s also important to listen to your needs and take care of yourself and your relationships.