Power in Networking

If you had asked me as a senior in high school if I thought my actions were impacting where I would be now as a professional, I'd laugh. I was a theatre kid doing what I loved, not realizing that my (slight) twitter obsession and love for social media would come into play now in 2019. At that time, I was participating in a program at Playhouse Square in Cleveland that is referred to as the Dazzle Awards. It is a regional musical theatre competition between high school students from all over the Cleveland area, myself participating for its first and second years. In 2017, I was nominated for Best Actress amongst five other passionate young women. It was the time of my life working with professionals at such a large arts hub. Fast forward 2 years. We are sitting in on a meeting at that very organization as a part of a firm tour day, and the woman that runs the communications program remembers me right away. 

I wont lie that at first I almost fell out of my seat. It's been two years, a hair cut and dye, lots of growth, and hundreds of students between when I met her to now. We connect over my previous work with Playhouse Square, and continue on with the session. Afterwards, we run into the Vice President for Education and Civic Engagement, Daniel Hahn. Just like when I sat down for the meeting, he remembers me right away. We all catch up, and they mention that it would be a great idea for me to apply for their internships in the coming months. While I don't know where this will lead, it really got me to think about the impacts that our engagement and passions can have. I've continued to tweet about my passion for their educational programming throughout the years, and now it has come back for a possible benefit for me academically. Long story short, you never know when you will come face-to-face with someone you think has forgotten who you are. Keep an eye on how you publicly talk about programs you have been involved in, and always remember that there is always someone watching.