When I Grow Up

Dear Diary: When I grow up I want to be an astronaut, environmental lawyer, a reporter, a professional ice skater and a rabbi.

At age 7, this is how I imagined life as a grown up. When you were 7, how did you answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I believed the possibilities were infinite. Now, at 21, with life as a grown up one step closer, do you still have the same aspirations that anything is possible? As graduation approached, I maintained the same outlook that I had when I was 7: I could pursue any path, but only if it was one in which I could color outside of the lines.

In my quest for such a career, I was not in a category all my own, but joined by young alumni traveling “off the beaten track.” Ironically, this path could set the opposite group of young alumni “on track” to tap into their personal potential. This week, I seek to share with you the inspiring stories of just a few of these young alumni from different majors and varied backgrounds with the hope that their stories illustrate just how easy it can be to color outside of the lines.

In her first year out, Liore Milgrom-Elcott ’04 completed a fellowship with the American Jewish World Service in India. A Natural Resources major, she worked on a socially sustainable development project. Half-way through her year, the tsunami hit Southeast Asia. Adapting within her position, she managed medical supplies to provide victim relief. Now, she is spearheading an energy conservation campaign for a nonprofit.

After graduating from Cornell, Etan Rand ’05, a Design and Environmental Analysis major, filed a patent and established his own company. Drawing from research conducted at Cornell, he founded Design in Motion, Inc., where his first endeavor sought to improve the lives of wheelchair users through ergonomics. “I saw an enormous problem and I needed to do something about it. I work on this project because I want to improve the way millions of people live” Etan explained.

Jake Bronsther ’05, a Philosophy and Government major, “knew that there was much more I wanted to learn about the contemporary issues facing Muslim communities. I needed to understand and study Islam and Muslim culture at a much more direct level.” At the suggestion of one of his professors, he applied for a Fulbright grant to study in Mauritius. “Picture me sitting in a basement interviewing three Mauritian men wearing robes,” is how he describes his experience. Currently, he is pursuing a Masters in Politics at Oxford.

For a second group of alumni, an initial pursuit of a traditional track has led towards one that is “off the beaten track,” creating a path of their own.

Cheryl B. Englehardt ’02 always thought she would be a marine biologist. “After graduation, I got a temp job with the United States Geological Survey doing scuba diving research” she recounted. An opportunity to write music on a freelance project in Rome rekindled her interest in music that was sparked by learning piano at age 3. At first, Cheryl composed music for an advertising agency before branching out on her own to write music for Fortune 500 company ads and documentaries like the Enron film. She also formed her own band which stops at Cornell next week on its tour.

A decathlete on Cornell’s track and field team, Ethan Albrecht-Carrié ‘04, graduated from the Hotel School to work as a restaurant manager in Philadelphia, but one year later decided to pursue his lifelong dream of competing in the Olympics. The diverse athletic and personal backgrounds of the bobsled team made it a better fit. He describes his first ride as “a lot like riding a roller coaster … that doesn’t have anything to hold you in, and beats you up on the ride.” He loved it, quit his job and moved to Lake Placid, where he qualified and was invited back for U.S. Olympic bobsled team trials.

After graduation, Miki Agrawal ’01 joined Deutsche Bank. “Six months into the job, I knew it wasn’t for me,” she shares, “My creativity was being entirely stifled.” Next, Miki pursued professional soccer, film and then turned her lactose intolerant diagnosis into a positive, opening the organic pizzeria Slice in Manhattan, which features a number of soy cheese options. She sought valuable advice from an alum, Burton “Skip” Sack ’61, Chair of the National Restaurant Association during the phases of restaurant development.

What advice do these young alumni have for the next generation of Cornellians just starting out?

Be patient, Liore says, “It takes time to find the right job.” Etan reminds us to “keep your eyes wide open and be prepared to learn from everyone around you.” Once you have found your passion, pursue it “and don’t be afraid to see where in the world it might take you,” according to Jake. “Take giant leaps and you’ll be amazed at where you land. Talk to as many people as you can. You never know who’s listening or who knows someone else who would listen,” Cheryl advises. Do it while you’re young, “If something sounds like a great opportunity to you, it probably is,” Ethan says, “The only time I’ll be able to do the bobsledding is now.” With a little planning, your passions can turn into a fulltime endeavor, “You just have to figure out where you want to be in five years and figure out the steps and timeframe to get there,” Miki advises.

In creating your own path, your “first job that you take, even if you’re sure it’s what you want to do, may not be what you end up doing later on,” Stacy Schwartz ’04 wrote to me in response to last week’s column. And that’s okay too.

If you didn’t write down your dreams when you were 7, it’s not too late now. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Julia Levy ’05 graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2005. She currently works as a Research Assistant at Tanner & Co., Inc. She can be contacted at jml82@cornell.edu [1]. One Year Out appears alternate Fridays.