Taco About Growth and Failure was put on by Aayushi and Kersten in the Smith-Steeb Sky Lounge. They provided us with insight from their last two and a half years at Ohio State and reflected on what they felt they succeeded in and what they could have done better. They also gave us really good advice to approach certain situations and reiterated resources the university has to offer as well as personally offering to help whenever we need it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the event and what Aayushi and Kersten had to say. It was very humbling to hear about their “failures” and how they overcame them to become the people they are today. They also talked about how it does not hurt to apply for something even if you think you will not get it, and that has helped me have more confidence in applying for scholarships and leadership positions. In addition, they discussed how every experience, no matter good or bad, continues to shape who we are and our outlook on college and the rest of our lives, which is something everyone needs to hear time to time. I also really enjoyed hearing the other IA members’ stories and input. I have always been someone who stresses out about almost everything, and it was helpful knowing that other people have gone through some of the same struggles that I have and have been able to find ways to overcome them. I took a lot away from this workshop, besides extra Chipotle napkins;), that I believe will help me with my stress and having a more positive reflection on rejections I will receive in the future.
This workshop relates to International Affairs not only because it was put on by members of the IA Leadership Council, but because no matter where we are in the world, success and failure will follow, and we need to be able to handle whatever comes our way and be able to grow from every experience.