I wish I knew I didn't need to know.

What's one thing you wish you knew before starting your career journey? 

I thought I needed to know what I wanted to be and that I needed to commit to a path in order to be successful. What I've learned over time and wish I had known before is that as long as you're taking action toward something at the moment the next step will reveal itself to you. You don't have to know what's at the end of the road in order to take the next step and it’s okay to change your mind, evolve with your passions, learn new skills, and try something different. For me, that's looked like earning a degree in mechanical engineering, taking a job managing commercial construction, to earning an MBA. After making a career switch into education, building a reputation as an operations expert and learning nonprofit finance, I’ve most recently leaned into leading people operations. When I thought about translating mechanical engineering into the education space and thought about the natural progression into operations, I didn't expect to eventually learn and be leading strategic hiring practices, developing professional development and in-house training, as well as developing human centered org policies that enhance company culture. Knowing that I can change my mind and take on new challenges as I learn more and accumulate experience has been incredibly empowering.