San Francisco: Halfway There
"This week, we have spoken to so many great people and learned about many career paths but when we leave this trip, we are the ones really responsible for integrating this knowledge into our choices," wrote Avery Tritz (BBA ’24).
Avery Tritz '24
Major: Finance
We are about halfway through the Quinlan Ramble to San Francisco! After having met many alumni at our reception yesterday and two days full of multiple site visits, today was a well-deserved day to reset. Our day started off later than usual because our site visit to Reach Capital was in the afternoon, so many Ramblers used it to recharge and do some self-care to stay balanced in such a busy environment. I personally went on a walk around the area to explore a little bit and found myself at Yerba Buena Park. It was so cool to see such a green environment hidden away in the middle of a bustling commercial area. Funny enough, I lost track of time soaking up the sun in the park and had to run three blocks home – the San Francisco hills are truly not for the weak!
Jennifer Carolan and her team graciously welcomed our group today to learn more about her edtech venture capital firm Reach Capital. I found our session especially interesting because I am not familiar with the different niches within the venture capital industry. As someone with cross functional interests, I am a finance major and urban studies minor, it was eye-opening to learn about how Jennifer has pursued her passion for improving the education sector in a non-traditional way. The job market is always changing, and it feels like we as college students are always trying to figure out where we fit in; it is helpful to see firsthand how we can be the authors of our own careers and create an environment where we want to be a part of.
One of my main takeaways today is Ikigai. I have previously been reading a novel about ikigai, the Japanese concept about purpose, so it was engaging for me to hear about it during our session with Reach Capital. In short, it contains a framework that describes how Ikigai is the perfect balance of doing what you love, what the world needs, what you are good at, and what you can be paid for. This week, we have spoken to so many great people and learned about many career paths but when we leave this trip, we are the ones really responsible for integrating this knowledge into our choices. I learned in our session today that we can choose where we want to exist on the ikigai diagram, and it made me feel empowered because it made me realize how much authority I have in my career. There seems to be a lot of noise to college students about where we should be wanting to work, what we should be aspiring to be, or just generally how we should be, but learning about ikigai emphasizes that my personal purpose of being is my own.
This week so far has been a week of learning, growing, and connecting. I have spent a lot of time soaking up information and processing it, and it has taught me to question my own assumptions about what post-graduate life entails. Today’s site visit to Reach Capital taught me valuable information about venture capital and ed tech, but also about the human aspect of being a professional in the field. Thank you to Jennifer and her team again for such an impactful session!
