Just a Midwestern Girl

I had a couple experiences in the past two weeks where others had more confidence in me than I've had in myself. The first was talking with a fellow juror while I was on jury duty. She works on Capitol Hill and is in her mid-thirties. We were trading stories and life experiences; we have a shared commitment to public service. She casually mentioned that I should really look at her grad program, as it was filled with like-minded people committed to public service. "What program did you go to?" I asked. "Oh, the Kennedy School," was her nonchalant reply.

The Kennedy School? Even for me, with all my goofiness and audacious goals, I had not considered Harvard.

Then a week later at dinner with my former boss, she asked if I was looking at graduate schools. I said not yet, but I do want to go back in the next few years. Her response was so supportive and she, too, mentioned that I should really look at the Kennedy School, as well as a couple other very competitive programs. "It's so funny," I told her. "I've just thought of myself as a small town Midwestern girl, not the kind of gal who gets into Harvard."

Her response? "Even small town Midwestern girls can go to Harvard. Everyone has to start somewhere."

So I guess the lesson learned is to have confidence in myself. There's nothing wrong with dreaming big.