PAW intern Douglas Corzine ’20 asked reuners to offer advice to the Class of 2018. Here’s what they said.
Photos: Douglas Corzine ’20
“Find something you really want to do, and get everything else in place to support that. I didn’t really care where I worked. I just wanted to play Frisbee, and I was fortunate to find jobs that let me play — jobs that I’m good at, jobs that I enjoy, but that don’t define me. The work I do supports the other things: kids, traveling, still playing Frisbee.” — Alex de Frondeville ’88
“Don’t be boxed in by what you studied! I was in the humanities at Princeton, and I learned a lot in terms of people skills and soft skills. Once I graduated, I took an untraditional route into tech, and that meant continuing to explore and try new things. I recommend that people not be afraid to make jumps and take risks.” — Win Suen ’13
“Follow your dreams. I’ve done very well by it.” — Doug Wengel ’58
“You should say things that you think you might regret. I should’ve learned it here: That’s what I did in classes here, but when I got in the real world, I was cowardly. Don’t — holding things back and not saying how you feel about something, it ultimately holds you back.” — Rob Bernard ’88
“It’s hard because you’re in the middle of it, but enjoy the experience. Just savor it, and it’s going to work out — for the most part, you get what you need, and everything works out. I would tell my 22-year-old self, ‘Just relax; it’s going to be OK. Don’t take everything so seriously.’” — Punam Mony Nimchonok ’98
“I’d say to wear the cloak of decision-making lightly. You don’t have to make all your major decisions in your 20s. When we look at the future, people are going to have a lot more leisure time and they’re going to change careers more often than ever before. So don’t put all that pressure on yourself, and take care of yourself emotionally and physically — that’s actually something I wish I had learned more of here.” — David Johnson ’78
“Make an effort to stay in touch with Princeton classmates because they’re unique and special, and it’s worth putting in a little extra time even when life gets busy to maintain those relationships. You’ll have them the rest of your life.” — Leigh Armstrong Hebard ’93
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