Bengisu: Spring 2018

Class of 2011 and Class of 2016 for her MBA, Bengisu works in Montreal in marketing

Health: 7/10

Physically, I’m recovering from a long winter. I’m ready to go hiking and enjoy the sunshine. Mentally I’m at an awkward spot because I’m waiting for my PR, and I’m switching to my new job, so I know good things are about to come but they’re not here yet, so I’m anxiously waiting. Spiritually, it’s not something that I think about anymore.

Work: 5/10–10/10

My current job I’m at a 5/10 because I have 2 more weeks before I switch to my new job, which I feel 10/10 about. My new company is one I’ve always looked up to both as a customer and as a place to work for. My career finally has a sense of direction and I know what I want to do, rather than “I’m doing a job because it’s the only thing that fits into my profile”. I have a senior title and I’m going to be a manager and I’m really looking forward to what I think will be an amazing career.

I want to go high in my career, and I want to be a good boss. I want my employees to be happy at work and for them to have a fun and pleasant experience. I’m super excited for the opportunity to start practicing how to be a good leader.

I’m helping Jonathan (my fiancee) with editing and co-writing his video game, and put the plot lines in context. I really like it as a side project because in college I used to write and edit for a student magazine that helped chronicle students’ study abroad experiences, but for a long time after graduation I felt lost and uninspired to write, also with work writing just took a backseat. I’m pretty excited to start writing again.

Play: 7/10

I’m so focused on my job switch and wedding planning that sometimes I forget about other people. It’s funny, because I’m planning this amazing day for my friends to celebrate with me, but it’s still a year away so I can’t forget about my friends until then.

Love: 10/10

“Ten ten, dude.” In terms of my romantic love (hello, engaged), I really enjoy planning the wedding and our future life, because it keeps reaffirming to me that it’s the right decision, so that’s been great. I’m super close with my family, they’re actually coming to visit me in August and I’m looking forward to them seeing my city in the summer.

Read about the next snapshot of Bengisu’s life -

Bengisu: Fall 2018

Let me contextualize this

This is one candid snapshot from a chronicle of a few people’s post-graduate journeys. Some of us graduated Class of 2017. Others, a few years out. Each of us are on an unmapped journey to somewhere, optimistic that the dots will somehow connect in the future.

My hope to you is that when you follow along with our stories you will find comfort in the intentional randomness of life, and find courage in your own seemingly “monumentous” decisions.

The format will be simple — every four months, I will ask each post-grad to gauge 4 areas of their life (as inspired by the highly recommended book Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans):

1. Health (physical, mental, spiritual)
2. Work (9–5, side projects)
3. Play (things you do purely for fun)
4. Love (from you and to you)