National Advisory Committee Luncheon

This past week I had the incredible opportunity to attend a luncheon hosted by the Marriott School for the National Advisory Council (NAC). For those of you who are, like I was, unaware of what the NAC is, the NAC is a body of professionals from various careers who have decided to give back to the community of students by offering their experience and advice to students who are interested in pursuing similar careers. They are incredible people with a wealth of knowledge to share.

I'll admit to being nervous at the outset of the event. This was the first event of its kind that I've ever attended, and I felt very much out of place sitting among some very successful men and women. However, as I began to chat with a few of them, I discovered an amazing secret: they're human! They are people, complete with interests, stories, and senses of humor. I found that barriers quickly dropped as I took initiative to talk to them, take an interest in them, and meet them on their terms. I found it incredible just how many of them had begun with dreams and aspirations that mirror my own; I took it as assurance that I too can realize them one day.

If I could say one thing about the event, it would be that networking works, and not in the way you might think. Networking is at its best when it ceases to be self-serving, and instead seeks to inspire and enrich other's lives. We humans thrive on affirmation and encouragement, two characteristics at the core of real networking. By meeting someone new, you expose yourself to a whole different life, complete with paradigms and motivations that could potentially change your own life. It's not just a tool for the businessman or businesswoman, it's an opportunity for everyone - an opportunity I plan on taking for the rest of my life.