Your academic performance qualifies you for an emergency grant, she explained. And Professor Bennett has recommended you for a research assistant position. In the business department, it pays better than the coffee shop and looks more impressive on a resume.
The research position became another turning point. Working directly with Professor Bennett, I began assisting with her study on small business resilience during economic downturns. The flexible hours accommodated my class schedule, and the intellectual stimulation was a welcome change from preparing, lattes.
More importantly, Professor Bennett took a genuine interest in my future. Have you considered entrepreneurship? She asked one afternoon as we analyzed survey data. Your perspective on resource constraint driving innovation is quite sophisticated.
The seed of an idea that had been germinating since high school began to take root. Using skills from my marketing and digital media classes, I created a simple online platform offering virtual assistant services to local small businesses. Working late into the night, I built a website and developed service packages tailored to needs I had observed in my research with Professor Bennett.
By the beginning of junior year, my small business was generating enough income to allow me to quit the bookstore job. I maintained my research position more for the mentorship than the money. Between the virtual assistant work, research stipend and loans, I was finally achieving a precarious financial stability.
As my business grew, so did my confidence. In business strategy class, I began speaking up more, sharing insights from my real world entrepreneurial experience. Professors took notice and classmates began seeking my advice on their projects.
The girl who once felt invisible was becoming a respected voice in the department. Meanwhile, Lily and I maintained a cordial but distant relationship. She would occasionally invite me to sorority events or campus activities, which I nearly always declined due to work commitments.