No matter what your goals are in life, you always need an inspiration! Point Park freshman Victoria Lowry understands this, and has taken a great step in helping people find their own. Victoria has started an online community called The Doers, where people of any age can share their stories about their careers, lifestyles, hobbies, and achievements in order to inspire kids in high school.
Victoria is a freshman at Point Park and is forming a major of her own. She really loves film photography and collecting antique cameras, but she says that all of her free time goes to organizing The Doers. When asked about it, Victoria said, “When you’re in high school with no idea what you want to do with your life, guidance counselors tell you to volunteer, shadow someone, or interview someone. Googling doesn’t work; you Google a career and it gives you basic information and you’re left with no clue what a day on the job would actually be like. As a high school student, it’s difficult to make connections with working adults and be taken seriously. The Doers will make this connection for them. It is an online collection of interviews of everyday working people in varying career fields. The questions aren’t just about their career though, young adults can find a role model through a common hobby, or a trait they admire about someone else. I would like to include that deeper connection in every interview. The Doers will also show internship, volunteer, and shadowing opportunities that are available.”
Victoria went on to describe what her inspiration was, not only for her future, but also to create The Doers. “I went to a large school with only 3 counselors, so it wasn’t a very personal experience when I would try to talk to them about my future. My mother never went to college and was at a loss to teach me how to go through the application process. I was on my own with figuring out my future, and it was a daunting task. It was my senior year when I was a teacher’s assistant when I met my role model. And it wasn’t because of her career—I never wanted to be a teacher—it was because of her demeanor. She was the happiest person I’d ever met, even when she had a bad day. She seemed strong and confident in every word that escaped her lips. She was sure of herself and cared for everyone around her and I wanted to live my life the way she lived hers. So I did. Having a mentor changed my life, it gave me the confidence to trust my own decisions, to be a caring, genuine person, and to be passionate and put my all into every task I took on, that’s what I want The Doers to do for other people.”
The Doers is an amazing opportunity to read others’ stories and to share your own! When the website is up (as it is still a work in progress), it will be full of interviews of people excited to share their story. If you are interested in someone’s interview, you will be able to contact that person with any questions or comments! This gives people a chance to establish connections related to your career field, as you may be able to start an internship or job shadow.
To keep up-to-date with The Doers, you can like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thedoersorg, follow them on Twitter (@thedoersorg), or sign up on the website to receive email notifications at http://signup.thedoers.org/.
Be sure to keep an eye out for Victoria on campus and to ask her for more information about her brilliant organization!