The End of the Beginning (9/21-9/27)

The Independent Study and Mentorship program is a course I am glad that I selected to take for many reasons. I made one of the most important steps towards my dream this week, identifying the project I intend to undertake in ISM. To elaborate, I intend to explore the fundamentals of spacecraft design as I want more than anything else to create a means of allowing all of mankind to enjoy the beauty of the stars. The time I put into developing my project proposal paid off in my opinion, because I found myself with several questions. The concept that piqued the most interest from me was the creation of opportunities. Going forward, there will be many occasions where my self-sufficiency will not be enough to conquer the obstacles standing between me and my dream, and I will require the aid of others. Since the research interviews will be coming up very soon and I will have to find someone to serve as my mentor, I need to identify what aspects of me as an individual are enticing enough to encourage one to become my mentor. I have little experience in the formal process of finding a mentor, which is why I must push myself even harder to conquer my weakness. What are all the possible avenues that I can explore to find myself a mentor or professionals? Will the individuals I know through family connections be more reliable or will the individuals I find through LinkedIn and other online resources help me more? I already have begun the process of requesting to connect with individuals on LinkedIn, but it all depends on whether they agree to do so or not. I believe the best approach will be to brute force it; to specify, just find as many professionals as possible. Next week, we will officially enter full-swing when we identify what we want to do for our original product. There will likely be more challenges that I will face and there will be times where I feel completely hopeless. I know myself better than anybody; when I feel cornered and at my lowest is when I can only look upwards, back at the stars. I plan on soaring above and beyond my own expectations and look forward to my own growth by the end of this course as well.