Reflections

    I am sitting here on the Gold Coast of Australia, looking out on my balcony and reflecting on the past 6 months and how much I've grown as a person. I will not forget my first day in NYC I had a full blown anxiety attack, I started questioning all of my decisions and i wasn't sure what I was doing alone in this new, and ridiculously large and overwhelming city. I remember my first week in the office at Derek Lam I was so timid, I didn't want to bother anyone or ask anyone too many questions. Fast forward to my last week at work, I said my bitter sweet goodbye's to all of my amazing coworkers who became my friends. They and I both hope that we will work together again in the future. What I learned at Derek Lam for the 6 months I was there is more than I could have ever learned in any classroom. Not only have I gained knowledge about the industry, but I have learned how to communicate and work with others in the work field, how to manage my tasks and prioritize. I learned that there are tough decisions to be made and I'm not always going to make the right one, but I will always learn from it and better myself from it. This taste of the real world has certainly got me hungry and ready to start working. I think the most important lesson I learned is to always be your best self and others will respect you and want to work with you. I am so thankful for my co-op experience and I would not change a single thing about it. I hope the opportunity will lead me back up to NYC and working full-time in the next year when I graduate.