It's All About Me

(L-R) Me, my cousin and my older sister. Paying attention has never been my forte.

Although our PR class has been together for four years (more or less), this personal writing assignment seems to be a nauseating task. My life is pretty uneventful, but in the most fulfilling way. Like everyone else, it has had its ups and downs (with more to come), but I consider myself to be quite blessed.

I grew up in a very nuclear environment-the middle of five children in a Catholic family, living in rural Nova Scotia with a stay at home mother and a father who is a second-generation dairy farmer. The value of hard work and tough love was always made known in my house, which could sometimes feel suffocating. These values are ones that I will always carry with me. However, there are many things I was exposed to that taught me what I don’t want in life. My parents started their family at a very young age and it was assumed that my mother was to quit her career to raise the children. Although she is very thankful that she had the option to be a stay at home mom, the strain of raising five children on one income (which fluctuated frequently) is something that I know weighed heavily on her. I cannot fathom giving up my career to stay at home, so for that I admire her, yet know this is not what I want for myself.

With school taking up the majority of my time, it is no wonder that it has also been an influence. The past four years have taught me that an education is not necessarily contained to a classroom and textbooks. Two “milestone” moments for me occurred during my first and final co-ops. My first co-op was in Ottawa, Ontario, and as embarrassing as it is to admit, it was the first time I was ever on an airplane (my dad being tied down to his job sort of cut out any big family vacations). Talk about being outside your comfort zone. Being in a new city was such an amazing experience, and it is a time in my life I will always remember. It was the literal manifestation of the right opportunities taking you to places you’ve never been. My third co-op, which was also in Ottawa, is where I found my “mentors”. My third co-op got off to a rocky start. A lack of confidence put me in a shell and was starting to affect my work performance. Rather than let it slide, my manager confronted me about it with some constructive criticism. This kick in the butt was exactly what I needed to put my priorities in order and become more confident in my work. Another co-worker of mine, and a fellow PR grad, always took the time to teach me new things, and therefore I also consider her a mentor. These two women are very special to me on both a professional and personal level, and these relationships are ones that I hope will continue into my career.