"I have the LehighSiliconValley program to thank."

Jessica Sandoe '20 | Gettysburg, PA Major | IBE: Bioengineering, Biomechanics and Biomaterials

I am often asked the question “what do you want to do when you graduate?” My answer is always something along the lines of, “work in the R&D department of a medical device company.” However, I am rarely asked the follow up question, “why do you want to do that?” The short answer to this question I already knew- I want to help others and contribute to society in a meaningful way. On the rare occasions someone has probed me in search of the “why” level of my future plans, they were always satisfied with this answer. Today, however, I was pressed to dig a little deeper. Today’s journey of introspection and self-reflection led me to develop a deeper understanding of myself and my goals for the future. My two main takeaways from my time at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center are as follows:

1. Love is the most important thing in my life, and the people I love are my core motivator. 2. Love and deep human connection are the greatest gifts I can give to another person. 3. I want my work to reflect this perspective.

We were asked to develop a vision statement based on our personal values and deeper “why.” This statement was to incorporate our goal, why we thought it was important, and why we were a good fit for our mission. This exercise made me think more specifically about exactly the kind of work I wanted to be doing, and I realized that at this point, one career path stands out to me as best fulfilling my “why.”

I want to create medical devices that help people who are struggling with infertility have children. I believe that love is the most meaningful thing in life, and I want to help people fulfill their desire to expand their families and create a new person to love. I am uniquely positioned to do this work because I am a people person with a technical focus, I always give 100%, and I think outside the box.

While I remain open to opportunities in different sectors, I will move into my career knowing myself and my long-term goals a little bit better, and I have the LehighSiliconValley program to thank.