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On the second day of Sophomore Institute, I arrived at Gamble Auditorium a few minutes before the morning opener. The first presentation, “Values and Your Professional Self,” was perhaps my favorite session of the four-day conference. I received a double-sided printout of a list of values, and I immediately circled the six I knew I held: security, location, balance, excitement, flexibility and competence. Then, I copied them into the running list of notes in my padfolio and wrote why I had chosen them in relation to my professional values.

The presenter, Director of Experience and Exploration Jenny Watermill, asked the attendees to consider a series of questions related to the values. One question I recall vividly asked us to think of someone we admire and what values we observed in them. I immediately thought of Marcia Hofmann ’00, my alum mentor, with whom I was matched through the Career Connections Mentoring Program. The value I see in her is her commitment, as she shows up on time to every meeting, prepared with research she conducted on her own time to enhance her insight and thoughtfulness. Another question asked us to consider our lowest work value, and to little surprise, many (including myself) chose competition. As I pursue a career in labor law, one of my lowest priorities is measuring my abilities against those of others. In advocacy, the focus is on the people, and competition with those in my field holds no meaning to me. The session concluded with me staring at the list of values. I understood that I had overlooked some that were more relevant than I had initially thought, and I realized that others were less important to my professional career.

The rest of the day was filled with sessions about experiential learning and cohort informational interviews, all of which allowed the sophomore class to explore opportunities on campus, such as fellowships and studying abroad, and to ask Mount Holyoke staff members about their career trajectories. The fellowships session, led by Associate Director of Fellowships Briana Chace ’17, was especially helpful, considering that I plan to pursue fellowships for two years post-graduation before enrolling in law school. She has been incredibly supportive in my application journey, prompting me to reflect on my short-term and long-term goals.

In this session, she did the same for a room full of sophomores; she asked everyone to consider their goals and what they want to be doing. She emphasized the importance of explaining how a particular fellowship aligns with our personal and professional goals and how we have been working towards these goals. Briana highlighted five points to consider: process thinking, executive functioning, outreach and collaboration, resilience, and presentation. By the end of the session, I had a clearer understanding of how to approach fellowships, how I should think about them and how I should think about myself.

The final event of the day was “Your Career and Your Identities: A Panel Over Dinner,” which was the most memorable conversation of the conference. The panel, moderated by Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Kijua Sanders-McMurtry, featured Addison Beaux ’99, Reina Cabrera ’00, Oyinade Wielock ’07 and Kalyani E. Kannan ’17. The opportunity to learn about their personal and professional journeys was invaluable. Reina’s decision to study abroad to reconnect with her roots was deeply moving to me, as an immigrant. Addison’s storytelling was peppered with humor and sincerity, resulting in thoughtful engagement. Kalyani’s discussion of community and accountability raised meaningful questions, such as, “How am I representing myself and others?” Oyinade’s insight into why safety is such an important value, particularly in the workplace, was especially powerful. I had the privilege of asking each panelist about their professional values: Oyinade spoke about integrity and standing out with kindness; Kalyani emphasized care; Addison discussed spiritual life, intersectional feminism and oneness; and Reina explained her perspective on putting women first in the workplace.

After the panel, students had the opportunity to approach the panelists. I spoke first with Kalyani and Reina, who asked me about my professional values. The first one that came to mind was location because it was an important factor when I was applying to colleges, and it still is, when I consider my residence hall on campus and potential law schools. I take the environment, how comfortable I feel, convenience and the atmosphere into consideration. Next, I listened to Oyinade as she spoke with another student about the corporate world of finance; some of her advice could also apply to the legal field, which was unexpected and interesting. Then, I spoke to Addison, who told me about a Mount Holyoke alum who works in labor law and offered to connect us on LinkedIn. I gratefully accepted and left the panel with pages of insightful advice. I was truly inspired.