Reflecting back on 2020, how did you adapt to so many aspects of life moving virtual?

For me, 2020 posed several challenges. I personally struggled with staying connected to others and finding a way to continue to have a purposeful life. It’s hard to find ways to continue to make progress in your life when it feels like the world came to a screeching halt. I overcame these challenges by diving headfirst into my DBA program in the Spring of 2020. By reading and continuing to educate myself, I found new and productive challenges to tackle. I also began getting involved in activities, that in a pre-remote world, I otherwise wouldn’t have had the time to do, such as local Leadership Advocacy Groups, book clubs and walking local shelter dogs. Being able to still feel a sense of connection to the world and to feel that I was able to contribute and grow helped to keep the world spinning for me.

What advice do you have for working in a virtual/socially distant society?

The best advice that I could give would be to take advantage of the time you have at home to focus and reflect on who you are and what your driving purpose is. There’s no better time to reflect and reevaluate than quarantine. It’s the best time to get to know yourself. The influx of remote learning and working has actually provided the world with more opportunities than ever before. Distance or location is no longer a barrier to a person’s dream job or career. My advice would be to take advantage of those opportunities while you still can.