When I was 11 I wrote a fan letter to Sarah Michelle
Gellar. To my surprise, I got a response. At the time I was obsessed with her
show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and
wanted to let her know how much I loved it. Looking back, writing a letter with
anticipation of getting a response was naïve but I believed something would
happen if I did, so I went for it. (Imagine what would happen for you if you
possessed that kind of faith as an adult.) Even more surprising was the fact
that my parents let me watch the show.
I was raised Christian and remember a church member at the time referring to
the show as “demonic”, but if my parents didn’t have a problem with me watching
it, I was unbothered. At the time, I thought there was no one cooler than a
butt kicking teenager who fought vampires, went to high school, and had close
friends. Buffy Summers was awesome. I
can’t remember exactly what I wrote in the letter, but I do remember how
excited I was to see a letter from California waiting for me when I got home
from school. With excitement, I ripped open the sealed envelope and there was
an autographed photo of Sarah Michelle Gellar that read, Best Wishes xoxo. I thought I was the coolest kid ever. I took the
autographed photo to school, showed all my friends and teachers, and was told
that it probably wasn’t really hers, but
as an eager 5th grader, it was
real to me. As a kid, I can’t think of a cooler fan moment than getting the
kind of response I did. Although I no longer have the photo, it’s a fond fan
girl memory I’ll never forget.
As you embark on your career, I want you to know some things and stay woke about what you’ll be up against. Please understand that no matter what, you have value, and you matter. Always remember that. As progressive as this world and different workplaces may seem, every workplace has a culture. You’ll be in different places where a lot of people who don’t look like you will be in the room. But know that you belong in those rooms too. Spend some time observing and studying those spaces and learn as much as you can. There will be people you work with who will make presumptions about your competence, education, and ability to fulfill your job duties. There will be more who will think less of you because of the color of your skin and try to disqualify you the moment you make an error, mistake, or ask questions about things you may not understand. This will all feel uncomfortable and you may get insecure, feel like you’re all by yourself, and think you don’t belong there, but ride it out...