How Eva Vazquez ’23 used failure to motivate her and make a major achievement
Ironically enough, you must fail in order to succeed. This statement holds true for all aspects of life, from school to sports to personal life, and especially for your career. I am currently serving as the 2022 Lead Mentor for Student Support Services (SSS), and I would not have been able to make this accomplishment without stumbling first. As Lead Mentor, I collaborate with SSS staff to create, plan, and execute a summer long program (S4P) for incoming first-generation, low-income, and disabled students. It took a lot of work and various steps to gain such valuable experience.
After training with SSS to become a TRiO Mentor (TM) in Spring 2020, I applied to be a summer TM. As I was moving out of my dorm mid-March in 2020, I received my rejection email. Although disappointed, I requested feedback from the committee that interviewed me.
The next year, I was determined to get the position and work with first-year and transfer students over the summer. I utilized BigInterview to practice my interviewing skills, as well as perfected my answers based on the feedback I received. My second time around went much better, and I was offered the position, later finding out that my interview was one of the best that the committee had seen.
Wanting to become further involved in the SSS community, I applied for the Lead Mentor position this past March and was granted an interview. Thanks to all of the preparation that the Fleishman Center has given me for the interview process, I was offered this position, where I know I will flourish.
I would not be in the position I am now without seeing my first rejection email as a challenge to overcome. Failures are always opportunities to learn and grow. If I did not request feedback or apply again even after being denied, I would never have been able to participate in this amazing program. The main takeaway from my journey is to never give up, as successes are achieved through overcoming challenges.
