College Experiences That Helped a Senior Content Program Manager at a Leading Edtech Company Succeed

I chose a school that was well-aligned with some of the things I wanted to do. I went to Barnard, which is a liberal arts college and part of Columbia University. This gave me the opportunity to be in a place that was undergrad-focused but also offered many research and extracurricular opportunities.

I joined the crew team on campus, which was a varsity sport. I had 7:00 AM practices six days a week. From this, I learned how to work hard, how to work as a team, and how to manage my time effectively. I had to be very thoughtful about balance.

As a science major, I had many lectures and labs. I also had two workouts a day and had to manage rehab for sports injuries. It was a great experience in learning how to manage not only my time but also how to balance conflicting things like academics and sports. I learned to accept that I might not be perfect at either, but being good enough at both was okay.

I also had a research internship in a lab the summer before my senior year and completed a research thesis that year. Through this, I learned I did not want to be a lab scientist. That was a valuable experience, as it helped me realize I didn't want to spend five or six years in a doctoral program, which is what I had initially thought.

Because I went to school in a city, I was able to do a lot of volunteer work. I was interested in education, so I volunteered in schools and had a couple of internships. I worked as an assistant teacher, helping with science field trips and activities for children.

I also TA'ed a number of lecture and lab classes. This helped me discover that I enjoyed teaching and explaining things to others. This was useful when I became a teacher and is also something I use a lot in my program management role.