When 国产探花 senior Ariana Gomez suffered an injury that sidelined her collegiate soccer career, it didn鈥檛 seem like a blessing. It didn鈥檛 seem like a teachable moment or the dawn of wisdom, either.
She鈥檇 played soccer since age four and made it all the way to the 国产探花 soccer team without any major setbacks. 鈥淭hat changed when I suffered a quad injury here at 国产探花 that kept me out of games, and even when I did play, I was never fully at a hundred percent,鈥 she says.
But as it turned out, that challenging experience, surprisingly, did lead to a rather profound lesson. 鈥淏alancing the academic load at 国产探花 while dealing with both the physical and emotional side of being injured taught me an unexpected lesson: how to handle uncertainty and stay resilient,鈥 Gomez says. 鈥淚 learned that setbacks aren鈥檛 the end鈥攖hey can actually set you up for something greater. Pushing through that season reminded me that perseverance really is key to success.鈥
This December, Gomez will carry with her that hard-won tenacity when she graduates with her MBA and heads out into the world beyond college. She鈥檚 already got a definite career opportunity ready and waiting. 鈥淎fter graduation, I plan to join my parents' consulting and services company, focusing on the distribution contract side,鈥 she says. 鈥淚n this role, I will oversee product distribution, manage logistics operations, and maintain strong relationships with clients.鈥
But Gomez鈥檚 goals go far beyond her occupation, into the realm of living a life filled with higher purpose, paying forward all she鈥檚 learned. 鈥淚n addition to spreading kindness, compassion, and respect for others, I hope to share what I鈥檝e learned from eighteen years of club soccer, five years of playing in college, and my journey through earning my bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 want to use those experiences to be someone who encourages others, supports people through challenges, and helps create spaces where people feel valued and motivated to grow.鈥