sleepless Sue in Berlin

For Sue, who is sleepless in Berlin. I wrote this a few years ago when just getting started with social media. You probably didn't see it then, but it's worth repeating:

May 21, 2007

Today it occurred to me, not for the first time, that I owe a big thanks to Sue.

21 is such a formative age. There are so many choices you can make at that age that could easily shape the rest of your life.

Sue and I had lots of classes together in college. I liked Sue because she was intelligent, competitive, and motivated to succeed, moreso than most college-aged kids I knew at the time.

And thank goodness she was so motivated. I tended to follow Sue as she blazed a trail early in her career. I was a beneficiary of her early work experience, as she introduced me to many early career opportunities.

There was a time when I thought I could be a teacher, and so I followed Sue through a teaching assistant program and taught math for four sememsters. This turned out to be a great experience for me because it gave me public speaking experience, and forced me to improve my organizational skills. I also made some good friends in the program.

There was a time when I was looking for a summer job, so Sue put in a good word for me and I landed my first tech job at the university. I learned a great deal about technology and I gained valuable skills that I still use today.

Upon graduation, I sought out the private company that had also hired Sue out of college, and I was fortunate that they hired me. I spent many years there learning the business of software development. I made many new friends, too, whom I still hang out with today.

I am where I am today largely because of the choices available to me in my early career. So thanks Sue. I wonder where I would be today if I had not known you.