Relationships Matter: Make Connections and Nurture Them

As with many of our Career Day speakers, Collins’ career did not travel in a straight line. “My career has been much like Foxcroft Road," she reflected. “有很多曲折和转折, and sometimes you can't see over the top of the hill, 这可能有点可怕, 但那里的景色很美, 这趟旅程非常壮观. It's even more fulfilling when you can just sit back and enjoy the ride and absorb all the experiences along the way.”

Growing up, Collins had two goals for her future. “Everyone who knew me knew that I wanted to be fun. 我想要冒险. 我想为故事元素做任何事. 我也想成为一名兽医.“不幸的是, 她在福克斯克罗夫特读大三的时候, she was diagnosed with allergies to most animals. Devastated but still trying to keep her love of animals as part of her path, 她选择主修生物学. 但, 沿着这条路, she “discovered a love for human behaviors … understanding who the person is” and decided that law might be the right path for her. 

“但 I wanted to kick the tires first, so I got my paralegal certificate. I worked at a large law firm in DC; and that turned out to be a little too quiet for my personality. I loved the work that I did with a trial attorney. It was incredibly fascinating, just understanding why people behave the way they do. 但 I realized that criminal law wouldn't be my path. 所以, I was searching for how to combine everything I loved — the things I was interested in — and I connected with the White House. One simple phone call turned into an interview … you have to be ready to accept the opportunities that come your way and then shape them.”

After six years at the White House, with roles at the U.S. Department of Education and the State Department as an Ambassador to Switzerland, honing her skills in managing complex communication tasks, 她转到私营部门工作, where she excelled in various leadership positions at Northrop Grumman, 提升到她今天所拥有的位置. “你不会总是喜欢你所尝试的一切, but I encourage you to be brave enough to chart another path. You don't have to know exactly what you want to do. 你只需要追随你的激情. 善良，勇敢，真诚. 问问题. You will find your next opportunity and have an amazing ride along the way.”

在演示过程中, Collins spoke about the people and experiences that shaped her life, from siblings and parents to her friends and time at Foxcroft. “我在福克斯克罗夫特得到的是姐妹. I believe you learn differently from and with women. What I learned here is to use my voice, to speak with firmness and with kindness. 我学会了用不同的方式分享. I learned to negotiate with women who brought their own hearts and perspectives to the conversations. And most of all, I learned the value of deep connections. Wherever you go, you'll learn that relationships matter.”

在关闭, 她向学生们提出了这个建议, “I believe it's so important for us to nurture this special place that's given so much to all of us. I encourage you to stay connected with each other and the folks here this weekend. The theme of this year is ‘Design Your Future at Foxcroft.’ You should start right here, right now, today. This weekend gives you an amazing opportunity to connect with the great gifts of the incredible women who have come from this incredible place. Get to know them, be inspired by them, learn from them, and they will help you chart your path.”

Collins’ talk kicked off a morning full of stimulating sessions for students conducted by alumnae who graciously gave their time to share personal stories about their professional paths in a dozen breakout sessions. 这些女人, 代表1974年至2014年的班级, hail from a variety of careers and included a civil engineer, 技术审计员, 公共卫生分析师, 制造工程师, 首席室内设计师, 一段副制片人, 开发总监, 一个主编, 数字营销专家, 公务员, 媒体编辑, 一个行政助理, 分享他们从大学到职场的故事.
 
Students attended two sessions and undoubtedly learned a lot about the many possibilities for life after Foxcroft. Thank you to the remarkable women who gave their time and to the Office of Institutional Advancement for organizing the event.