“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” ― Epictetus
After six months of hard work our Spring 2022 Expansions class will be graduating, including Stefanie. They will all be coming to the Orlando corporate office to present their final group projects they have been working on over the last six months. Join in me in wishing them all the best of luck!
When asked ‘why did you choose to be part of Expansions’ this is what Stefanie had to say:
My main goal in life has always been to learn. Since I was a young girl, I have devoured books in any subject matter I could find to better understand the world that we live in. This hunger for knowledge has taken me into different arenas in the job market from technology, retail, journalism, teaching, and hospitality. Every step of the way my main focus has been to grow in not only the specific subject matter of the job but my personal knowledge base on how to work with different types of people, different types of scenarios or issues and how to navigate what has been universally known as office politics.
For me, Expansions was the next step in my growth journey. I have had the opportunity to see firsthand from both my leaders that are Expansions alumni how much of an impact going through this program has made in making them better leaders and grow as professionals. I believed I had a clear understanding of the subject matter in my current position but in order to continue growing within the company and become the future leader I aspire to be, I acknowledged that I was in need of further developing my knowledge base in leadership skills and I believed the best way was to go through the experience of Expansions.
What are your takeaways from being part of Expansions?
My biggest takeaway from the program was a surprising one. It was not the growth in practical skillsets, which has honestly been amazing learning each month what it takes to be a leader. It wasn’t going through our team project either, which was an enlightening experience particularly because the subject matter of a Green Initiative was interesting and challenging. Truly it was establishing a professional/personal relationship with all my teammates, mentor and the Expansions team. While I was going through Expansions I have had to also navigate with my parents’ cancer diagnosis and treatment. Everyone involved in this program not only was quick in stepping in if need be to pick up sections that I had been given point they also provided emotional support through it. I am forever grateful for the experience, for the people that I have met and worked with. To me, this experience has cemented my belief that leadership is a people-centric skillset and making sure we support each other at all times is one of the most important things for collective success.
Be on the lookout for other rising leaders, like Stefanie, as we continue this monthly series spotlighting our leadership development program graduates.
