Discovery, Direction, and Dutch Tiles

By Brooke McDonald

The slogan for The Philadelphia Center is “Discover Your Direction In Life.” It’s a brilliant marketing strategy for college students with lots of questions about which path to take in life. When I saw brochures for The Philadelphia Center as a sophomore, I may or may not have actually drooled. You can help me discover my direction? Heck, yeah, I’m doing this program!

Whether you’re majoring in nursing, business, engineering, or getting your “Mrs.” degree (liberal arts students, be real with me. Don’t you know those girls?!), let’s face it – a student can graduate, sell all their textbooks on Amazon, and go be whatever they want to be. You know it’s true. Nowadays, it doesn’t matter what you major in. What matters, as Michael Edmondson, professor of my Intro to Marketing Class says, is how much drive you have to accomplish your goals and how you market yourself in this competitive economic age. 

And direction is so critical just for this point: there’s no one way to take your major. Coming to Philadelphia showed me how many options I have as a writer, just through a search of TPC’s hundreds internship opportunities. My supervisor Deborah handed me a packet filled with writing-related, editorial, and development internships. I interviewed at publishing companies, magazines, and a newspaper, but I also looked at positions in grant writing, copy ad, education, tutoring, and more. 

This semester is all about discovery, as Michael put it. Professional and personal discovery, every day, discoveries that help you understand what direction you need to take your life. Discoveries about yourself, people around you, and life in general. 

Here’s an example: I’ve discovered that I really like journalism. I like the autonomy of a reporter – interviewing, researching, writing. My responsibilities as an intern reporter have been smaller-scale than those of a true reporter, but I’ve really enjoyed the chance to write my own articles about various topics. I LOVE seeing my name in print (okay, who wouldn’t?), hearing that my article was informative to someone, and getting positive feedback.  

Two things about work in general – I’ve discovered, first, that working 9 to 5 is a bit grueling, and a job you love is a must. Second, in order to love your job, you’ve got to love the people you work with. Thankfully the reporters at The Legal are funny, intelligent, kind, appreciative, and helpful, so they make coming to work every day a pleasure. 

Here’s a personal one – I discovered that I go gaga over art museums. Honestly. I could spend all day wandering around  (I love stumbling across and connecting with random art. Last Sunday I spent a few blissful hours at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, since it’s free on the first Sunday of the month. So great.)

Hope College has a Dutch legacy, smack-dab in the middle of Holland, founded by immigrants from the Netherlands – and who would’ve thought that the museum had a huge collection of “Dutch Tiles?” Many of them had really beautiful tulip designs. I discovered these last Sunday and had to take a picture, as a sweet reminder of my college community. What were these tiles used for back in Holland? I have no idea, but apparently they were really popular. They’d make a sweet kitchen floor!

Here’s a final discovery about friends – you need them. They need you. In Philadelphia, we’re all spread out around the city, and sometimes I get used to going to work, coming home, doing my homework in solitude, and going to the grocery store alone. You know what? That’s a sad way to go about life. There are things only friends can do for you – make you laugh, chastise you, point out your flaws, help you make decisions, listen to you, love you.

How much richer it is to live, pray, and experience life with friends, and not along? There’s no safer, more wonderful place than in the company of people who know you and your values and will support you, and I’m learning that I need these people more than ever.