I learned pretty quickly that nobody can teach greatness. Even at a prestigious school known for being great at so many things, I never felt like I was learning how to be incredible. In LA, I have two internships on top of taking 10 credits, and while exhausting, the best part about it is the incredible people I’ve met. Aside from their experiences and accomplishments, which are impressive, they all have one thing in common: they’re genuinely wonderful human beings. I’ve realized that we don’t figure out who we are by being successful, we become successful by figuring out who we are. I’ve started internalizing the notion that being open, kind, generous is infinitely more valuable than anything I could have learned in a textbook. “Networking” is more about genuinely being open to learning and listening than it is about smiling through it and seemingly really valuable. I understand now that greatness comes from absorbing greatness, and being incredible comes from being the best version of yourself.
Jack Desmarais-Harris is a senior in the television, radio and film program at the Newhouse School.