Karon L. Phillips

“When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else. This is not just a grab-bag candy game.” -Toni Morrison

A colleague just posted this quote on Facebook, and it is such a powerful quote by one of my favorite authors. I honestly had to take a minute to reflect on those that have empowered me. I have wonderful mentors in my life. They are VPs, executive directors, provosts, tenured professors, business owners, program directors and the list goes on. I also look to my peers for guidance as they navigate their careers.

As I continue to develop in my career one of the things that I am committed to doing is helping emerging gerontologist and public health professionals. I had a rewarding conversation last week with a young woman starting her career in gerontology. I shared what I have learned over the years about navigating the job market as a gerontologist and gave her some advice on how she should proceed. It felt great to empower her, as others have empowered me.

Are you empowering others along your journey?