I am UIC: Self-confidence

A reminder for all seniors graduating this May:

We are less than a month away from walking the stage, turning our graduation cap tassels to the left, and finally stepping out into the real world. Whether life after UIC means graduate school, a job, an internship, or a combination of the three, there is something important each one of us should carry through it all: self-confidence.

The Tedx Talk, The skill of self-confidence, is a short video you should all watch as we begin to think more profoundly about our futures, our careers and start job-hunting. In this Tedx Talk, the speaker, Dr. Ivan Joseph, a former varsity soccer team coach at Ryerson University, talks about the importance of having self-confidence, not only in sports, but also in every aspect of our lives.

As we get closer to graduation, we must not forget that aside from the skills we list on our résumés, the skill, which Joseph defines as “the ability to believe in yourself to accomplish any task, no matter the odds, no matter the difficulties,” is amongst the most important.

Self-confidence is something Joseph says we can train, by being persistent, staying away from the people who tear us down, and giving ourselves self-talks. This means chasing our dreams and goals without taking “No” for an answer, despite the amount of times we might hear it; not allowing other people’s words to bring us down or deter us from doing what we want to do in life; and reminding ourselves of all our accomplishments and abilities, giving ourselves the encouragement and spirit we need to continue moving forward.

We need to have this skill locked down because the reality is many of us will be hearing “No” or “You can’t.” If we work hard to build and maintain self-confidence, however, those words will not have power over us. If we master the skill of self-confidence, then we will achieve our goals.

We must walk through life believing in our abilities and our potential. As Joseph said, “No one will believe in you, unless you do.”

Michelle García De La Vega is a senior double majoring in communications and Spanish. Among the things she loves doing most are drinking coffee and laughing. The moments she appreciates most in life involve family, friends, music, warm weather and experiential learning. Her goal is to travel someplace new every year and she aspires to one day be a conduit of news for her community.