Having an entrepreneurial mindset, in my mind, is nearly synonymous with having the growth mindset mentioned in our Microsoft visit. Even lumping in the recipe versus ingredients example Dr. Kelly used, the desired traits of an employee from an Irish business has been vastly different than what my American upbringing has led me to believe the perfect professional is. Rather than searching for the greatest rule follower to plug in as a cog in the machine, the top businesses search for those unafraid of opportunity. Maybe there is no certainty a project or venture will be successful, perhaps there are various risks and a possible reputation hit involved, but the enthusiasm and boldness is what pushes these businesses to the top. Dr. Kelly’s talk mentioning how those with a 4.0 GPA may be looked over in favor of the A- student with a bit more creative insight left a large imprint on me. My entire life, the goal of anything seemed to be to achieve the absolute best, and this was especially apparent in the academic world. Classes with numerical grades and a constant stress of “do well so you can go to a good college” would push me to tick off every box possible on the rubric. It was quite refreshing to hear some encouragement focused not towards coloring within the margins, but sacrificing a bit of academic standing to put one’s own spin on it. In a world rapidly advancing into unknown territory and yet certain “right” ways of doing things long established, it seems we have been raised to abide by the current rules and never once consider dipping a toe into the less credible and much unsupported. I’m not supporting alternative forms of, say, medicine or accounting, but to succeed in tech development or marketing, industries with no formula for success, thinking outside the box is nearly required. As I continue my college journey, taking classes both enjoyable and not, getting grades both phenomenal and disappointing, it is comforting to consider my academic achievements may not be the greatest indicators of future success.