New York was a whirlwind. I learned so much from so many hardworking creative professionals. The most important connections I made were from individual interactions after the meetings + reaching out to creatives on facebook and linkedin for coffee/lunch/drinks. The most pressing issue I faced was recognizing that agency life isn’t for me. And that’s ok! Many of us also faced that. It made me recognize I might need a reset to rethink what I really want out of this industry. The biggest takeaway from that was realizing your job and passion projects won’t always align. But it’s important to bring creative and positive energy wherever you go. Use your job to fund your passions and don’t get too sucked into any industry you aren’t passionate about. Trying to shift my perspective to not get too bummed out if I don’t get the career I want out of college. It all takes time but I had an overwhelming reminder to reserve time for the projects and hobbies I’m truly passionate about. Life is crazy but it can be incredible when you quit lying to yourself by forcing yourself to like a situation you aren’t meant to be in. We have more control than we think. Regardless of your job, don’t forget to make time for what makes you happy!

-Cassandra Tollett