"Look Out The Window": Advice For the Grad Student

“Look out the window.”  This was the moral of one of a story Brother Jim Moore told me when I asked for some guidance.  While this advice may seem peculiar, where it comes from runs a bit deeper.  Brother Jim is the founder of FrancisCorp, a faith-based community consisting of volunteers who devote their lives to service for a year in either Syracuse or Costa Rica.  The story he told me was of a young man disillusioned with the program, homesick for America, and ready to leave.  After several meetings, Brother Jim realized he offered all he could, but to no avail.  That’s why he was so surprised when one day, the same disenchanted volunteer suddenly had a big smile on his face after a long day of work.  When Brother Jim inquired about the change, he was shocked to hear what was responsible for the change.  The volunteer “looked out the window.”  Each day prior, he had been focused on himself, dreading his work, and yearning for a way out.  When he looked out the window, however, he realized where he was, how unique his experience could be, and how he was placed there for a reason.  This slight shift in perspective allowed him not only to overcome his hardship, but also to accept his position with pride and dignity.

With the MSBA program, the workload is constant.  Between an internship, classes, and homework, it is almost impossible to maintain a balance in life.  It can be stressful and laborious at times, and this can ruin the experience if someone was to let it.  That’s why hearing Brother Jim’s advice had me taken aback.  Focusing on the hardships skews the true strength of the program.  I am uniquely positioned to gain an understanding of the business world, both through classes and first-hand experience.  I am being educated by a faculty with years of knowledge, and hundreds of contacts.  I am surrounded by classmates who are just as eager to learn as I am, and who act as a support and a team.  If this isn’t enough, I’m in our nation’s capital, surrounded by friends and countless opportunities.  All I have to do to keep these in mind is make sure I “look out the window” every once in a while.