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"What are you going to do with that degree?"

"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THAT DEGREE?"

One morning, a friend’s mom said to me, “What are you going to do with that degree? The industry is dying.” Well… as we look back, we know the industry didn’t die. Yet those words drowned my soul and had me questioning everything. Was this a “smart” major? Would I be able to find work?

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Fall of 2007, my life changed for good. It was then I stepped out of my Grosse Pointe upbringing and into my Marquette experience. An experience I still look at in awe today.

Upon starting at NMU, I was an undeclared major; uncertain of what I wanted to do, I had a narrow list and was taking courses to find an interest. I’d always been drawn to psychology, geography, and writing. At the time, I was focused on soaking up the Northern lifestyle while navigating my coursework to see where I’d land.

What I was certain of was there’d be no place for business in my lifestyle, and no part of me in business. After some courses, I decided psychology wasn’t for me. While I loved the study of the brain, I winced at schooling beyond a 4-year degree.

Psych was out. Geography and writing were in.

Entering my sophomore year, I settled on a major in journalism with a minor in geography. This could encourage a life of traveling and writing about people, places, and things. It was a go. While all of these decisions were being made, a big thing was happening culturally: The newspapers were watching subscriptions plummet, questioning the industry's entire financial existence.

One morning, a friend’s mom said to me, “What are you going to do with that degree? The industry is dying.”

Well… as we look back, we know the industry didn’t die. Yet those words drowned my soul and had me questioning everything. Was this a “smart” major? Would I be able to find work?

Heading into junior year, I decided to switch my major to business… the one thing I knew I didn’t want to do. As a side note, I’ve often looked back at that conversation and asked myself if I was weak? Or did I not stay true to myself? How could someone's words – in hindsight the exact person who would say something like that – impact me so deeply?

The short answer? Because even though only sticks and stones may break your bones, words CAN break your spirit. And hers did.

Yet, nearly 15 years after that conversation, I owe her a thank you. What’s happened since that conversation is everything. What I learned of myself after declaring a new major, taking on heavy course loads to finish in four years, securing an internship, and remaining steadfast in finding a career I was passionate about, all was crafting the person I’d become.

Low and behold, it took some time to find the career I’d so desire, but I did. And sure enough I ended up right where I began with my interests in 2007: the world of psychology.

After meeting my now-wife in 2015, I learned she worked with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. We talked about her work that very first day, and just never seemed to stop. As our lives went on, she expressed frustration with the companies she’d worked at. Not so differently, I was jumping from start-up to start-up, never finding the business job that fit my desire to feel passion in the work I did. In 2018, we launched Carlyle Center, an Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy company working with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. We now service families across Southeast Michigan, with a team of 10 – and growing.

As I look back at the conversation I had with that woman, I realize her short-sightedness of an industry catapulted my long-term quest to find the job I was born to do. And all of that business background certainly helped when it came to it.

What I find so interesting about my life at Northern, and my life now, is that education is 24/7. Education doesn’t start and stop in a classroom, nor is it merely found in textbooks. It doesn’t begin in kindergarten and doesn’t end at your college graduation.

Education is one person's desire to lean in, let go, and listen to the world around – and within – them.

My time at Northern is what taught me that. My time at Northern is what gave me the confidence to look at a world and feel I have a specific place in it. My time at Northern taught me that reward comes with discipline and diligence.

I imagine many people don’t know what they want to do with their lives; both students and alumni. I think it’s okay to feel that way, and I know it’s normal. Be honest with yourself. Listen to yourself. And never, ever be afraid to feel lost.

And if you’ve already found your path, lucky you. You are one of the very few who have.

Takeaway

Your path is waiting. Don’t be afraid to take one road, turn around, and find another. In the end, the twists and turns are all a part of the path you were meant to walk.

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Overcoming feelings of self-doubt

NMU Alumna Talks Overcoming Self-Doubt

When I was in high school, I didn’t feel supported; I felt like a number. As a student at NMU, I had a team of faculty and staff who believed in me from day one. It was the support I received there that allowed me to see my potential and work through my own feelings of self-doubt. Today, I provide similar support to my clients.

Alumni Author Information

Name: Kyle Steiner

Hometown: Grosse Pointe Farms, MI

Major/Minor: Business Marketing

Social media handles: @kmbunga @carlylecenter

Current title: CEO/Partner of the Carlyle Center, an Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy company working with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder