Networking can de daunting and awkward. Going into this week, one of my biggest fears was leaving a bad impression on those I spoke to or not knowing how to make the most of the opportunities presented to me. It often takes me a while to open up to people, though I knew this was a trait I was going to have to overcome in order to build relationships with those around me. At the beginning of the week, I had a wonderful conversation with Kim Uong, who is a strategist at AKQA as well as a member of the Flock. She kindly sat down with me for 15 minutes and gave me advice about how to network and make it feel natural, and gave me contacts at some of the agencies I would be visiting throughout the week. Though I am still getting the hang of this whole “networking” thing, the advice she gave me on Sunday night stuck with me throughout the entire week. Networking doesn’t have to be serious and awkward— I learned that oftentimes, it can start with a common interest or recommendations for what to do in a new city. I learned the most when I asked people what their path from school to career has looked like, or even by just asking what their favorite aspect of New York was. Additionally, I learned how large our network is. There are University of Oregon alum at each agency in the city, and this reaches beyond to the rest of the country and globe. I also realized that one of our greatest networks is each other. I met so many incredible, talented students while on this trip, so many of which I had never spoken to or even seen before this week. Everyone was so kind and open, and I was constantly in awe of everyone capabilities and talents. I am so excited to see where we take each other, and can’t wait for our network of ducks to grow.

Jamie Rolston - 05/13/2018