Expectations vs. Reality

When she started at Santa Clara, Lindsey Allen ’16 thought she’d be a journalist. But after studying abroad and a fellowship in East Africa, Allen knew she wanted to pivot. Now an environmental sustainability manager at Disney Experiences, Allen spoke with the Ciocca Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship about post-grad challenges and overcoming obstacles.

“You enter a new job, maybe move to a new place, you have an expectation of what that experience is going to be and chances are there are going to be things unexpected that are going to occur. It’s really about rolling with the punches. And not letting any one imbalance between expectation and reality define your career journey but instead taking it as a learning opportunity. Understand that every experience is preparing you for the next one. … Growing up my parents always told me, it only gets harder. Which sounds a little cynical but it’s important to remember that if it were getting easier, you wouldn’t be progressing.”

—Lindsey Allen ’16