Luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation, but..........

How do you identify an opportunity?

Opportunity is everywhere; how you identify it and take advantage of it is crucial. We have all missed out on something because we lacked the ability to grasp the depth of what is available, or we just didn't have the nerve to follow-up on what was right in front of our face. Taking advantage of, or passing on, an opportunity can change the course of your life, your education, or your career.

In relations to Albright and college admission, our incoming students have hundreds of opportunities in front of them. Many will miss golden ones; others will take a leap of faith that could reward them handsomely. Students that have the ability to identify and take advantage of opportunities will not only get the most out of their education, they will succeed. An example: Two students thoroughly enjoy their psychology class and professor and do very well in the course. One student takes the initiative to seek out the professor to tell himm how much they like the class and how interested they are in the subject manner. The other student enjoys the class and gets an A, but never pursues anything beyond the classroom discussion. The first student creates a relationship with the professor and they collaborate on a research project. The research project is presented at a national conference and the student meets a graduate professor at another school and is offered a graduate assistantship t0 pay for the student's entire graduate work. That is taking advantage of an opportunity.

Yes, taking advantage of an opportunity can change your life and I am a perfect example of this. Eleven years ago I set up an informative interview with the new Director of Admission at Albright College because I was considering working in the admission field. The conversation went well and I inquired about volunteering some time in the office (creating opportunity). The director was more than happy to create some work for me and I took the challenge (taking advantage of opportunity). Three months later, he offered me a job (opportunity). The same week I received two other job offers (too much opportunity?). I chose to accept the offer at Albright and eleven years later I am the director of admission (choosing the right opportunity - or dumb luck?). In that eleven years I've been married, bought a house, and have two children - volunteering at Albright eleven years ago changed my life!

I can't tell you how to identify an opportunity, but I can tell you those that create and take advantage of opportunity will succeed. Good luck identifying, creating, taking advantage of and choosing the right opportunities!