EMILY WININGER
"I never dreamed about success. I worked for it."
- Estee Lauder
The Story Goes...
When meeting another person, the question “Where are you from?” typically comes up. This question, as simple as it is, is typically easy for most people to answer. For me that has never been the case as I have lived in 10 states in 23 years, more states than some will even visit in their lifetime. My father served in the Army for 30 years giving me the identity of a “military brat,” a term that I fondly identify with. Although there are times I wish I grew up in one place and could reminisce with friends I’ve known since kindergarten like many of my peers can, I wouldn’t change my lifestyle because despite the moves, I always had my family’s love and support and the opportunity to experience new places and people. Because I moved so frequently, every new place became an adventure and I became eager for more, never hindered by the fear of the unknown. I quickly became an extrovert and developed a passion for meeting new people as every person I met offered a different perspective on life. As I was constantly moving, I was forced to reestablish my personal brand each place I went, which increased my motivation and drive to showcase my strengths and establish a notable reputation. I also understood how opportunities are fleeting and therefore I always took advantage of any opportunity I could, whether it was accepting the role of director for a volunteer organization
as a freshman in college or switching teams at MGM Resorts International to understand the full scope of my department.
The other question typically posed when getting to know one another is “What is one interesting fact about you?” For me, that’s the easy one. Aside from saying the number of states I have lived in which always leads to more excited questions, I am able to definitively say that I have kept a hand-written journal since I was in sixth grade. When I was in sixth grade my dad’s job assignments got longer and I made the choice to keep a hand-written journal because I realized that although I had memories of my experiences in all of the places I had been, I didn’t have a reliable way to conserve those memories and experiences beyond photographs. What began as a personal-project quickly became a huge component of who I am. Each day I write about my life and having never missed a day since I began journaling, I have now completed 31 journals. This has improved my memory and serves as a positive outlet to relieve stress. As I continued to write and reread previous journals, I found they are also a great place for self-reflection, life assessment and a testament to my personal growth.
My journals, passion for people, adaptability and determination to succeed are qualities I will never cease to have and I hope that I can share these qualities and more in whatever endeaveurs I pursue next.