Victoria Monsul : Post Graduate

Post-graduate Pratt student Victoria Monsul came to class to talk about life after college, and the things that she did to find success. Monsul graduated in 2007, and because it was so recent, she's the perfect candidate for the tough job of relating life after to people still in school.
The presentation was a little all over the place, but that's because Victoria's life was a little all over the place. She taught the room many things, but the one point that I came away from the presentation with was that sometimes it takes a while to find one's niche, but all the experiences leading up to it are  learning experiences.
She posed the questions of "how do we become who we are? Who am I? Who are you?" Who she was was defined by what she wanted out of life after school. She didn't know what she wanted to do, only that she wanted to be surrounded by like-minded people in a creative environment. Victoria accepted that as a part of her, because she believes that being true to oneself and authentic is an important part of understanding yourself and other people. Understanding other people is a key ability that successful people possess. She was selective about who she chose to be her friends, knowing that friends can either help or hinder you, and she was open with her passion for whatever she was doing.
Monsul covered the benefits of having a degree, something that college students often overlook. It isn't just a piece of paper: it gives one a leg up on the competition, and school itself builds the kind of confidence that you can't find anywhere else. It also teaches one to deal with critiques, both helpful and useless. Degrees open doors, but confidence is what compels people to actually do things once those doors are open.
Over the course of the lecture, Victoria pointed out the importance of networking, even if she wasn't directly speaking of it. Her first job, her second job, her third, her internships all came to her by speaking to people. Everything important started with a casual connection. Sometimes merely saying hello and leaving your information is enough to get you in the door later on down the line. She stressed that it's important to get comfortable talking to people about your interests, so they know what you're capable of and what you love doing. One must learn to leave their comfort levels behind, just open doors and pop in to say hi.
The most important and poignant part of the presentation was when she said "You must learn how to fail, guys." That's key to anything that one wants in life, failing and learning to pick yourself up and keep moving despite that failure. It was a good point to end on.