When I was a sophomore in college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and it made me want to cry. Like a bad breakup, so many of my friends had a vision for their future. I did not. The only thing I wanted to do was hork down a bag of Skittles and binge watch Grey’s Anatomy in hopes I’d learn enough television medicine to dedicate myself to being a doctor.
It wasn’t until I took my introduction to public relations course when I truly fell in love with a career path. That’s when I discovered that I related to a celebrity with an inspirational story and outlook on life. Andi Dorfman, a former Bachelorette and Assistant District Attorney of Atlanta, goes on with life every day, perfectly content without knowing what will come next.
“One day, I decided to move to New York City and start my life over,” Dorfman said to a room filled with Her Campus members, founders, and staffers during Her Conference 2016. “I had to get away from the place where I was stuck in my past.”
Dorfman’s talk shared a story of perseverance from becoming a lawyer to her days recovering from her very public breakup with Josh Murray. The story is also documented in her bestselling book, It’s Not Okay. Dorfman, while nervous about speaking to such a large group of girls, proved to be a strong speaker and a dedicated #girlboss encouraging all those in attendance to be stronger than their failures. Dorfman even encouraged everyone to find role models and shared that her’s was J.K. Rowling. She was inspired by how Rowling overcame 12 publisher denials before Harry Potter became a phenomenon…even though Dorfman had never read the books herself.
For someone who at one point was completely unsure whether or not she’d make it in college, I have come a long way since my grade point average was below a 2.0. I was empowered by Andi and inspired to tell my story the way she has. My failures are normal and everyone will fail in one way or another. You have to be bigger than your failures or as Dorfman says, “You have to persevere.”
Dorfman is now out promoting her book and inspiring others to be the best they can be while I am preparing to graduate a semester early. Perseverance is brought both of us into these more exciting times. One of my favorite lines from her presentation was “Happiness is the ultimate success.” It truly embodied everything I had set out to do in my progression to a career. I wanted to be happy in all aspects of my life, especially after being in such a low place. I started to see my friends more, go on new adventures, try new foods, and take a few chances on my skills as a public relations preprofessional. I couldn’t be happier with where I am now heading into graduation, very similarly to how Andi couldn’t be happier than she is in the Big Apple.
So get out there and find your happy place!