We asked some of the brightest folks from within the community to reflect back on their days in school and to share with us a story of when they learned a particularly important or impactful lesson. We’ve shared highlights below.

Krystal Rodgers

In massage therapy school, I was so nervous to start clinical practice. For a massage therapist, that’s finally getting to put all our hands on work and knowledge of muscles, bone, body systems etc. learned from the first three months of school to use on the public and receive feedback. I was so worried about the social aspect because I’m usually a very quiet and reserved person but I quickly realized that most people just want to be heard. Whether it’s an ache or pain that just can’t get rid of or something that went wrong in their day prior to. And it’s so important in running my business now, whether is scheduling an appointment or I need to make adjustments during the massage session, I always make sure to listen, communicate and accommodate my clients within reason. Read more>>

Tess Elizabeth

I went to college in Washington State, and my school leaned into interdisciplinary studies. Through this, I saw how seemingly opposite ends of study can connect. I think internalizing this heavily factored into my thinking of photography, styling, history studies, and vintage curation as part of the same world. Read more>>

Aslyn Oestreich

I attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan right after high school way back when, in 2009. In art school, you work on a project for a certain amount of time, print it all and bring it in, pin it up in front of the class, and there’s a round of criticism. Good, bad, advice, etc. The best couple from that project would get pinned up in the hallways outside of the classrooms for the entirety of the school to look at, almost like a small personal gallery. The pressure was always incredibly high and a lot of students were always looking to bump people they deem their ‘competition’ down the totem pole usually. Read more>>

Thaina Cordero

Completing my doctorate and building the foundation for this business through social media and community networking has involved a process of rapid, painful growth. Part of the process is to reassess your own experiences, biases, and history. Having to grieve the lost parts of myself, reclaim my body, and making peace with pleasure has been a journey. Read more>>

Zoe Lee

One of the most important lessons that I learned from school was in a producing class back in art school. I remembered vividly in the first class that we had, our professor said “you need to know what type of lifestyle you want, because your dream might not match the lifestyle that you want for your future!” Which I found to be surprisingly true after graduating from school. I’ve always thought that I wanted to work in the film industry and becoming a Director, but I’ve never thought about the unavoidable lifestyle that comes with the dream. I have worked on several film projects, working 12 to 14 hours a day for several weeks, sometimes I even start my day at 3 pm and finish at 3 am… Read more>>

Kathleen

One of the most important lessons I learned during my studies to become a licensed massage therapist happened during my clinical training, which was a pivotal moment in my journey. It was a real turning point that deeply influenced how I approach my work today at The Beauty Anatomy.

During one of my first practical sessions with a patient, I was working under the supervision of an experienced therapist. The patient had recently undergone surgery, and I was instructed to perform lymphatic drainage to reduce swelling. Everything was going smoothly at first, but as I worked, I could sense the patient’s discomfort. They didn’t say anything, but I could tell by their body language that they weren’t fully at ease. I kept going, but something felt off. Read more>>