Seek and Take up EVERY Opportunity!
Rose Lewis
Sydney School of Entrepreneurship Alumni
The Organisation Rose will be speaking about is Western Sydney University!
We interviewed Rose, who currently studies at Western Sydney University and is in her fifth year. Rose completing a Bachelor of Business with a major in applied finance and a Bachelor of Laws. Rose attended Sydney School of Entrepreneurship (SSE) back in 2017 when they had their first student cohort, which was called The Navigator. She has, “taken up (almost) every single opportunity available to students through my university” which is why she decided to talk about her university in this article, who are direct partners with Sydney School of Entrepreneurship.
What has inspired you so far?
It is my family which inspired me to pursue higher education in the first place. Not only my mum is a teacher but also both my grandmas. Growing up, I always thought I was going to be a teacher too, because I love the idea of empowering other people. I knew that I wanted to access knowledge, and then pass that on to other people so that I could strengthen communities. I studied commerce, and I also did business and legal studies. My teachers inspired me, too; some of them made me feel like I could change the world. If I watched the news and I understood what was going on, I could speak up and make a change.
What inspired me into business and law, was how challenging it was. I knew that it was difficult, and that made me want to do it. I could see that there were not many people who looked like me in positions of power. I guess I saw it because when you are at a young age, you can start to pick up that something's not quite right.
What challenges have you faced?
MENTORSHIP - My number one challenge was stopping my support to others and start to support myself. I think it is essential to have a mentor, so you get advice from someone who has done things you are interested in. I got an informal mentor who changed my life. I will never be able to explain how inspiring it is to see someone who is just a couple years older than you, in a similar position, making changes that inspire you. She was very strategic, and I learnt a lot from it.
TIME MANAGEMENT - One great challenge I had to face is time management: Knowing when to say yes and when to say no. You cannot be admirable in every sense of the term. You do have to pick, especially in a university setting. To finish a five years degree in five years and to achieve something that the world has never seen before means either you are not going to sleep, or you are not going to do all the volunteering and associated experience.
I realised that by not helping a student one day, you could use the time to strategize something good that could help more people. It is frustrating. The challenge here is to figure out my impact, and I am still working on it.
Finally, a big challenge is also to find a balance between recognition and skill improvement. The distinction is between starting a club for other students and really making myself available and sharing information OR do I take a step back and do something much less visible like this Instagram campaign about multiculturalism. To do that, I would be a lot less noticeable and get less « good work » and congratulations. But I feel it would be much more sustainable in the long term. I also got elected as the undergraduate representative, only one of thirty-two thousand people get that chance. I learn things that I am not allowed to repeat to other students, and that can be a challenge.
What have you found to be your best resources?
I think any resource that can help you make an informed decision or develop your skills is a valuable resource. My university offers programs where you can meet other people to practice your networking or work on your resume. And I think resources, where I could get instant feedback, were really good for me, especially if it was not positive. I have definitely utilised what the university could give me in terms of information and taking up opportunities.
Social media are a great tool in terms of human resources. It helps you to be aware of who is out there or what is out there and what are their needs. You also have to make sure that your network knows that you need help, or you will not get that help otherwise. I also relied on organisations like my university or SSE to help set things up for me.
What advice do you have for your peers?
For those who are looking to start their own thing: Do not place additional barriers to yourself. Do not be hard on yourself, because it has not to be perfect from the start; you can move forward without an ideal plan. You can show it to your target or audience early, as early as you can. Get feedback from people and fix it as you go. You can also ask for the support of your network, which leads me to my other advice.
Always try to find your way into the door, that’s a huge one for my sister and me when we were just starting. For example, you may not be able to afford the ticket to a conference, but you can still email the organiser, and volunteer to help. In turn, you potentially will have the opportunity to attend for free! This situation actually happened to me! Volunteering allows you to do more than just attend. You see or hear things that other attendees may not hear or see! Regular attendee’s don’t hear about the excitement of what went wrong, and I feel this is where lessons are. You can get something from failure.
You also have to commit yourself to your goals as much as you can. If you have fewer goals, it becomes easier to manage, but I also think that people should not limit themselves and underestimate themselves because you will not know what you are capable of until you are working at your limit.
And finally: Have a narrative! An elevator pitch is really important. People want to make sense of you, and if you cannot articulate yourself, they may not know your value. First of all, have a value proposition. And second of all, the tricky bit is figuring out what it is going to be. And this value proposition can be different depending on the circumstances. You also have to figure out a couple of ways to share it, when you are online or when you meet in person.
How did you find out about SSE?
I found out about it through my university. People can find out about it now through their universities or by following SSE on Facebook or Instagram. I recommend people to follow them directly on their social media.
How has SSE influenced you?
I think it is hard to walk out the same person you were when you walk in because of how incredibly immersive and inspirational it is. It gave me confidence that I simply did not have before. I used to be someone who did not know how to take space even if I knew I had things to say that people might be interested in hearing. SSE influenced me in such a way that I have the confidence that I lacked before. I think being part of this program inspired me because I got to speak to students who were on the cover of national magazines. It made me think more practically about the change I can directly make.
Why would you recommend SSE?
Rose visiting China
[SSE is accessible, open to any current student from any of their 12 education partners , 11 NSW universities and TAFE NSW. Fully online and flexible to study from anywhere at no extra cost.]
I think that exposing yourself to as many different perspectives as you can early is a fantastic mindset to have because you want your mistakes to be resolved as soon as possible. You want your ideas to be broadcasted in a safe space and SSE is a safe space where you can do it, it is very inclusive.
From Your Big Year…
It was so inspiring speaking with Rose about her experience with SSE and how that has impacted her journey at Western Sydney University. Even though Rose has not started her own ‘business’ yet she shows how learning these entrepreneurial skills can influence the mark, you can make within a bigger institution. We are so excited to see what the future holds for Rose and know that she is going to make a great impact in her world. In the words of Rose “do not place additional barriers on yourselves. Do not be hard on yourself, because it has not to be perfect from the start; you can move forward without a perfect plan.”