College Experiences That Helped an Advocate, Attorney, and Swim Coach Succeed at a Policy Advocacy Nonprofit
Lindsey's Air Force Academy experience instilled a "hard work" and "excellence mindset," impacting subsequent careers in the Air Force, software, and now law; the value of pushing through discomfort, building a strong community, and prioritizing character over GPA resonated deeply, as evidenced by a positive reference from a classmate two decades later, highlighting the enduring impact of a strong reputation.
Hard work ethic, Resilience, Teamwork, Building a strong reputation, Community
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Lindsey Kirchhoff
Advocate, Attorney, and Swim Coach
Policy Advocacy Nonprofit
US Air Force Academy
Boston College, Master of Arts in Philosophy; Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, Juris Doctor; Pepperdine Law Straus Institute, Master of Dispute Resolution
Anthropology, Sociology
Law
Operations and Project Management
Veteran, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Develop excellence and hard work habits: Lindsey emphasizes the importance of striving for excellence and hard work in all areas, not just academics. These habits, developed in undergrad, have served her well in various career transitions.
2. Cultivate a strong support network: The importance of surrounding yourself with positive and supportive people who lift you up rather than bring you down is highlighted. Building strong relationships is crucial for success and well-being.
3. Prioritize character over grades or other superficial measures: While acknowledging the importance of GPA, Lindsey strongly advocates for focusing on building character, integrity, and a trustworthy reputation. She argues that this is more significant in the long run than other factors often emphasized in undergrad.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
It's an interesting question because it's been 20 years since I started bootcamp at the Air Force Academy in 2003. It's now 2023, so it's been 20 years since I began undergrad, and I've switched careers. I was in the Air Force, then I worked for a software company for a while, and did some other things. Now I'm in law, so I've had some different career paths.
It's interesting because even though undergraduate was a long time ago for me, the habits that I instilled, like hard work and giving my all, have stuck with me. I gave things excellent effort, even if I wasn't going to be the best. This applied to academics and even things like committing to getting eight hours of sleep.
Part of that commitment to sleep was because I know my mind can't function on less, and also because I was an athlete and wanted to take care of my body. I knew my body couldn't recover without sleep. I also ate really well and fueled my body with good nutrition, making sure I never deprived myself of food.
The hard work and excellence mindset that I took towards undergrad has impacted me in every area of my life since. Another thing I learned in undergrad is that discomfort matters. We all like to be comfortable, but there's joy in getting up early for a run or a walk.
There's importance in hydrating healthily through water, juice, or tea. Going through discomfort is important because it teaches you to push through to get to the better thing on the other side. Bootcamp required me to get up early for uncomfortable workouts and learn new, uncomfortable skills.
Survival training in the woods wasn't comfortable, but it was valuable. It taught me resilience and that I'm stronger than I think, and that I have resources to use. None of those experiences were done alone; everything at the academy was through teamwork.
Who you have in your community and in your corner is critical. If your friends are on a path you don't want to be on, find new friends who will lift you up and help you be the person you want to be. Don't hang around with people who are bringing you down, no matter their popularity or possessions.
If people aren't building you up to be excellent, a person of integrity, or a woman of valor and courage, let them go. You need to surround yourself with people who bring you life, not death, destruction, toxicity, or addiction. You want to be with people who bring you up and into your calling.
So, the biggest things I would say are excellence and good community. As an anecdote, about 20 years after starting bootcamp, I was helping with a nonprofit event. A classmate I hadn't spoken to in 20 years saw I was involved and told my bosses that I was a quality person and they were glad to have me on the team.
The point is that the things we think matter so much now, like what people wear or drive, really don't. What matters is the character you're building and the reputation you're creating. You want to build a reputation of being trustworthy, excellent, and having a good heart.
Focus more on that than on GPA. While GPA is important, if you have to choose, character should be the focus over sports, GPA, or anything else. Character has to be the thing that guides you.