Welcome Back! New Opportunities Await!

If you are like me, you may be thinking, “How is it September already?”  Summer always has a way of passing too quickly, but with September comes the excitement of new beginnings, a fresh start, and a chance to do something different and exciting.  

This past weekend, I participated in an END trip to the Long Island Adventure Park with a group of 12 first year students.  Now, I’ve always been afraid of heights.  I even tried to conquer the fear a while back when I was on a high ropes course during a leadership training experience.  Long story short, my harness got tangled and I was lowered down to the safety net by the emergency staff.   I was terrified, not to mention, embarrassed.

I knew this trip would test my limits. I wasn’t sure if I could complete a course, but I said to myself “I have to at least try one…”  What’s the worst that could happen?  I have already been lowered to the ground using a harness, after all. 

As the first course began, I was nervous.  Even though I was trying hard to appear composed, a student asked if I was ok.  Throughout the course, we helped each other out with encouraging words and tips on how to get through the obstacles.  Before I knew it, we had both completed the course.  By the end of the day, I ended up completing 3 courses, including the new Grand Rapids course which had several ziplines. Who knew flying between the trees (while holding on for dear life) could be so fun and so exhilarating?  

As we debriefed the experience, I was inspired by the first-year students sharing their own experiences of growth during the few short hours we were at the park together. One student even said, “I feel like I can accomplish anything now.”   That students’ statement perfectly summed up my feelings at the end of the event.

With the start of a new semester, I encourage you to be open to all the opportunities and experiences available to you as part of the Hofstra community.  Get involved.  Meet and chat with your faculty outside of the classroom.  Attend events.  Explore a new interest.  Develop friendships.  Challenge yourself.  This is your time to discover who you are and who you want to be.  If you step out of your comfort zone, you will soon realize you can achieve more than you ever thought possible.

As you reflect and explore on each of these new experiences, the Career Center is here to help you design your path to a successful and satisfying future.   Our advisors are available for individual career counseling sessions and for quick questions.  You can schedule a time to meet with an advisor by logging into Connect on the portal, or by calling the office at 516-463-6060.  Our team has also been hard at work throughout the summer planning special events and site visits to help you network with professionals in a variety of fields.  I encourage you to attend these events – even if networking is outside of your comfort zone. (We can help with that too!)

Also, I encourage you to check out the opportunities and resources on the Career Hub (www.hofstra.edu/careerhub).   You can find jobs, internships, event information and more in Handshake, industry information on Vault, and so much more!

I look forward to seeing you all throughout the year.  And remember, "if you don’t challenge yourself, you will never realize what you can become.”

Best,

Michelle Kyriakides

Executive Director, Hofstra Career Center