My journey to getting accepted into the SID program at Heller is quite amusing. After completing my undergraduate degree, I took a two-year “break” to figure out my next step. I put “break” in quotes because I was actually working full-time and completing a graduate certificate. I didn’t have much free time on my hands. However, I realized that the administrative life was too monotonous for me, and I needed to explore other paths if I ever wanted to enjoy my career.
I applied for a PhD program in my dream city but, sadly, got rejected. This rejection was warranted, as I knew I was up against applicants better suited for that specific degree. Despite this, I experienced inner turmoil and doubted whether I should continue applying for grad school. I even bought a car back home, thinking I might stay there indefinitely.
Then, unexpectedly, in March, shortly after the PhD rejection, I received an email from Heller’s admissions office asking if I was still interested in applying to their school. A little secret: I had completely forgotten that I had subscribed to receive Heller news and updates. Upon receiving that email, I revisited the Heller website and reviewed the SID program and, after realizing it aligned perfectly with my interests, I decided to meet with the admissions office to learn more. Everyone was so nice that I decided to apply without telling anyone, in case I faced another rejection. The only people who knew were those I asked to write letters of recommendation for me.
My final application material, one of the letters of recommendation, was submitted on May 15, 2024. By then, I had lost hope of being accepted since it was so close to the start of the fall semester. Anyhow, just a week later, I was going about my day at work and, having just completed a task I had been looking forward to, I went to my boss and said, “Hey, I have some good news.” Her response was, “Did you receive the answer from Brandeis?” I replied, “No, I wish.”
Later that same day, I was relaxing on my living room sofa, chatting with my mom, when I received the infamous status update email. I tried to play it cool so she wouldn’t know what was going on. But when I opened the email and saw that I was accepted, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I handed my phone to her so she could read the email herself. She was so happy and excited for me, but I knew the hard part would be telling my dad since I’m daddy’s little girl.
When I told him later that day after he got home from work, he almost fainted on our kitchen floor. Both my parents were so proud and supportive of me following my dream. I knew coming to Heller was meant for me since I had such a good experience with the admissions personnel. I just knew that these were the type of people I wanted to surround myself with.
And today, here I am, pursuing my graduate degree at Heller and working at the admissions office. Who would have thought? Definitely not me, but I am very glad it all worked out and I am where I am meant to be.