I have learned to embrace change in my life.
At times I didn’t want to, but I’ve learned that change opens doors to experiences we never could have imagined. I’m from a family in which everyone stays in jobs and homes for a long time, my parents were in their home for 59 years. And that’s a wonderful thing. But I took a different path.
After I left home at 19, I moved 20 times in 20 years, for lots of reasons and with plenty of stories along the way, entertaining now, not always then. I changed jobs regularly, always finding a better place to wait tables or tend bar. Until I moved into a job installing point of sale systems and learned I was good at programming, I stayed 7 years and that became my "thing". From then on, I stayed in jobs about 7 years, then it was time for a change. From the computer industry to fundraising to nonprofit work, the opportunity to reinvent myself became a gift of continuous learning that I didn’t expect. Then came the move across the country and leading YJC.
Congratulations YJC, this is where I broke my record, I’ve made it almost 8 years!
So now, another change. I’m eager for the next chapter with no idea what’s next. I’ll take the summer off, enjoy this great region and reflect. I recognize how privileged I am to be able to do this at this moment in time. But I’ll be back. There’s more work to do and I’ve got another role to play. YJC has been such a gift to me. It’s given me the opportunity to work with amazing young people, many who didn’t know their boundless strengths and potential. And I’ve come full circle from my working-class roots and love of advocating for the nobility of all work and all contributions to our society. From the people who make sure our roads are safe, to those creating goods in manufacturing, to third-shift workers, some who magically make sure our offices are clean each day.
As I leave YJC, there are no words to express my gratitude for your support and your friendship. In the past 8 years I’ve experienced so much, both wonderful and painful, and you have been the most exceptional examples of humanity. Being with YJC has been the highlight of my career.
With so much gratitude.
Au Revoir, Karen
A note to our YJC participants...
I wish I could give you a glimpse of what I see when I look back at all the years of my working life. Of how it makes sense in a way I never could have understood at 21 years old, let alone 18. I hope you know that you don’t need to have your life planned out at age 18. Just keep working at it. Whether school, work, or training, you’ll learn new things in every experience. Learning happens everywhere if you let it.
I spent almost 17 years in the hospitality industry, mostly waiting tables and bartending. I finished college in my 40s, completing my masters while working in fundraising, then moving into nonprofit work. I was able to reinvent myself regularly. I often tell people that the most important skills I use every day are the ones I learned in the restaurant business - how to work well with others, move fast, resolve conflict, learn quickly, and clean up after myself.
Just know that some working experiences will be wonderful, some hard, and everything in between. And the hard ones often have a gift hidden within that might take time to surface. You might find that you learn more in a job you don’t like than one you do. Or when you have a boss you don’t care for, you’ll remember what not to do when you’re a leader. When you look back after many years it will mostly make sense, even when it didn’t at the time. Just keep moving forward.
And now, with most of my working life in the rear-view mirror, I am no longer as fearful. I know my own strengths, I weathered challenges that strengthened, rather than damaged me, and ultimately found out how strong I was. And you will too.
Remember, learning happens everywhere if you let it.
