Some of us know the general direction we intend our lives to go. Others have a specific path. For Ali Lash, the end goal is to attend veterinary school (she’s already applied) – but she knows that there are many paths to get there. She has already considered and attempted many paths.
Ali applied for eight jobs in her hometown before she got an interview and eventually became a technician assistant at a veterinary hospital.
“It’s a lot of having to have resilience of after getting no response from anyone when you’re applying and to just keep going until you get someone who finally picks up on the fact that you really, really want this,” Ali said.
"Just keep going until you get someone who finally picks up on the fact that you really, really want this."
Ali has worked as a leader for the Emily Mauzy Vogel Sophomore Leadership Retreat (EMV). She’s also worked in Dining & Culinary, currently as a student supervisor-in-training, and as a learning community peer mentor. She now serves as a resident assistant, providing guidance and support to other students so they can grow as leaders.
Ali hasn’t done all of this by herself. Her network has helped guide her to these types of experiences that will help her develop the skills to succeed in her field and as a leader. She points to people in her network as having impacted her life. She says she wouldn’t have been a leader in EMV if it weren’t for her own EMV leader. A self-described introvert, Ali says she thought she might not be able to lead as a result of not being as extroverted as others, but her EMV leader gave everyone space to talk to make sure that everyone had a voice. Ali says this gave her the confidence to engage and pushed her to become a leader as well.
Ali also cites Jackie Boudreux, her academic advisor, as having a significant impact on pushing her to become a leader and engage in professional development.
She doesn’t just care about my grades; she actually cares about my future and where I want to go.
“She’s always been super, super helpful to me,” Ali said of Boudreux. “She understands the pre-vet thing and she’s also been one of the leaders of the learning community that I peer mentor for, so she spends a lot of time with me. She’s just helped me through the entire process, so I know I lucked out when it comes to advisors. She doesn’t just care about my grades; she actually cares about my future and where I want to go.”
You may not know a specific direction you want to go in life, but you may have a general idea. While you find your way, know that there are people like academic advisors, resident assistants and so many others at Purdue that can help you navigate the many ways you can grow professionally and as a leader. Don’t be afraid to find those people and lean on them to help you grow, just as Ali has done.
