Find your V.O.I.C.E.: Parting words to Class of ’19

The last two weeks of the semester are always hard. Final assignments, demands of Storyworks’ clients, anxiety about moving on to your field placement and even some sadness that you’re leaving a class of peers that you’ve grown to (mostly) love and admire. At the same time, elation and celebration: you made it! You survived.

Faculty too go through many of the same emotions, for the same reasons. You’re leaving us and we are thrilled that you a) made it and b) are moving on to begin your careers but I, for one, always feel like I should impart some additional wisdom that can’t necessarily be put on a slide, that is customized to this particular class. It’s a feeling of ‘wait, before you go! One last lesson!’

This year, I want to focus on encouraging you to find your V.O.I.C.E. I was inspired to write this after listening to your final presentations but also being part of a rich conversation this week on the future of work; a conversation where everyone’s voice mattered.

Let me explain. As you move forward in your career(s), you will need to adapt to the the changing nature of work. The hard skills can be learned. We have taught you those skills over the past eight months. But the soft skills, that’s where the magic happens, the promotions, the resilience, the success. With that in mind, keep the V.O.I.C.E. in mind:

V: Voice. Find your voice. Use your voice. Your voice has value. Don’t be afraid to speak up, offer an idea, contribute to a conversation, present a differing viewpoint. Voice. Value. Viewpoint.

O: Opinion. Have one. Share one. Listen to other’s. Be willing to bend and willing to convince. At the same time, be open to opportunities.

I: Inquire. Investigate. Do your research. Explore alternatives, examples, nuances. Ask questions. And then use that to offer insight. Show interest and don’t be afraid to be interesting. And finally, trust your intuition.

C: Care. Care about yourself, your work, your colleagues, your peers. Collaborate. Communicate. Be creative and create a better world.

E: Experiment. Experience. Don’t be afraid to try something new, something out of the ordinary. Elevate your ambition. Evaluate constantly, reflecting and learning as you go. And hey, while you’re at it, exercise and eat right.

Good luck as you move forward with your new life. Your new career. But you don’t need luck. You’ve got this.

-D