As a transfer student to the business school, I had to learn certain aspects of professionalism I would have otherwise never known. Resume templates, cover letters, and interview etiquette were all new to me, and quite frankly scared me. I have always found formalities to feel uncomfortable and unnatural so my initial transition was far from smooth. In the School of Business, everyone’s resumes look almost identical, we are taught to answer interview questions in a specific manner, and yet we are told to find a way to stand out from the masses. Today we heard from Ellie Doyle, the founder of TalentHub, a recruitment agency. She spoke to us about the most relevant skills needed for our future and how to create our own personal brand. What stood out to me most was her humanity, she had openly spoken about having a brain aneurysm, and how that has impacted her competencies and work life. To open up and speak so comfortably about this made her feel more human to me, she wasn’t just here to give us a how-to on how to succeed in business. She showed us how important it is to be authentic, vulnerable, and most importantly: have humanity.

Throughout high school and college, I have worked 4 different part-time jobs. All of them have been in service, and they have taught me skills that I will use for the rest of my life. Negotiation, patience, respect, and empathy have guided me through these jobs, and I am grateful for every experience. However, my strongest competency is resilience. Through managers giving me feedback in a not-so-professional way, workplace drama, and entitled customers I have pushed through each day and done the best work I could do. Outside of this, I have powered through about three years of cyber school where in some cases I never spoke to a teacher, and work to continue my education in hopes of making a difference in the world.

My name is Alea Pauline Gentile, I am a kind, conscientious, and empathetic young woman. I care deeply about inclusivity and disability advocacy, and as I am learning ASL, hope to create a bridge between the Deaf community and the world of business. Above and beyond all other considerations, I strive to be human in cases where we may simply forget to be compassionate.

Pictured is a mural by street artist Asbestos, “Pass freely from one level of existence to another”, honouring the lives lost from covid-19, which reminded me to appreciate the gift it is to be alive.