Anna Schneider

When I graduated from college it was safe to say that I was floundering. I had this great degree and passion for a subject, but I had no idea how to enter this field that I had spent four years learning about. I started to stress myself out and panic that the degree I got was for nothing. When I was introduced to this program it immediately grounded me. Instead of worrying that I would never be able to succeed in a career I was passionate about, I was able to start with the basics. My mentor helped me build my resume properly, taught me how to write a cover letter, and even went through mock interviews with me. The greatest part of this program however is the next step. My mentor was someone who had so much more life experience and connections than I had. They knew people who were established and successful in this field that I wanted to be a part of. When I say successful, I mean CEOs and heads of Research and Development for major corporations. Because of the connections this program allowed for me to make, I was able to talk to these incredible people and learn about how they went from floundering college graduates to heads of companies. An added benefit to this is that I started to see these “intimidating” people as just people. My confidence in communication increased exponentially. Through these discussions and connections, I was able to see a path that would lead me to a fruitful career. I am now pursuing a master’s degree in Biomedical Science at Colorado State University due to conversations and advice from those who know how to get to where I want to go. This program gave me confidence in my ability to find a career that I am passionate about, and the resources to learn how to get there.