Under the Birch Tree by Nancy Chadwick

Author:Nancy Chadwick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: She Writes Press
Published: 2018-06-20T04:00:00+00:00

defining moments

Defining moments highlighted my senior year. I had heard older, middle-aged adults talk about their defining moments, so I considered these would not happen until I got older, say, in my thirties! I thought I was on the right track when I was twenty-two, albeit a little early in life, because of my defining moments. They became noted markers that let me see my growth’s progress like a child’s standing up against a wall to be measured against a yardstick.

My first revelation happened in my advertising class, where we had to create an advertising campaign for a final project. I was a business manager on the team for the campaign because I had a knack for seeing the big picture and pulling necessary elements together to present a detailed, attractive package. This automatic inclination came naturally and granted me confidence. I considered my discovered talent and interest a sign that signified a direction to pursue after graduation.

Additional moments were surprises that called just as I was knocking on the door.

“I need to start class with an announcement, if you can just listen up for a minute here,” Professor Lynn said. He was a fifty-something Ad Campaigns teacher, one of the best, I thought, who looked like everyone’s dad, with his pipe smoking and casual dress to match his attitude. He would always look straight at you and hesitate for a moment when responding to a question posed to him, then answer it with a smile.

With pipe in hand, he started class. “I received a letter from Thompson Recruitment Advertising, they’re right here, just up the street from us, a small agency that specializes in recruitment ads,” the professor continued, “and they have an opening in their office for someone to work part-time as an intern. I also want to add that this is the first-ever offer this college has had for an internship with an outside company. So whoever gets this opportunity could be a real trendsetter here.”

“I’ll take it,” I said, raising my hand. I felt the students’ gazes on me.

Professor Lynn handed me the letter.

“It’s an opportunity,” he said. “Good luck.”

My credibility as a student and as a new working professional was defined by my professor’s announcement to the class. His confidence in me showed in his smile and a chuckle that worked in unison with his pipe-smoking rhythms.

A defining moment followed when I got the job. It didn’t matter that I was an unpaid intern reading newspapers and cutting out tear sheets and answering a ringing phone, because for a couple mornings a week I wasn’t a student but a working professional as I embraced the rhythm of the small recruitment advertising office. My defining moments were events that left lasting impressions. I had yet another place to be.

In early May, as the school term neared its end, it was time to leave the university. I was nervous about my exit interview at the J-school because I didn’t know what it was or what to expect. It seemed so final, so abrupt, as if I had to sign out with a final act of permanence.

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