Finding Her Own Way: Marya’s Path to a Dream Career
Marya works today in a role she spent years working toward. Her path there wasn’t immediate, and it didn’t follow a straight line. Instead, it unfolded through exploration, pauses, and repeated effort—shaped by a strong belief in what she wanted to pursue and the patience to find her own way there.
Building Confidence at HTIC
Marya’s time at Hawai‘i Tokai International College played an important role in helping her gain confidence during a formative stage of her life. The close-knit campus environment encouraged her to ask questions, seek support, and engage more openly with others.
That sense of belonging helped her become more comfortable speaking up and navigating unfamiliar situations—skills that would later support her as she moved through different professional environments.
Trying New Paths and Learning Along the Way
After graduating, Marya didn’t move directly into her dream role. Instead, she worked across a range of customer-facing and service-oriented positions, gaining hands-on experience in roles that required communication, flexibility, and responsibility. She also spent time teaching in Japan, an experience that challenged her and broadened her perspective.
Rather than viewing these experiences as detours, she treated them as opportunities to learn. As Marya reflected, every role added something new—“every job taught me something different,” she said, even when it wasn’t what she wanted long-term, it helped her understand herself better. Over time, these experiences clarified what kind of work environment motivated her and reinforced her desire to keep growing rather than settling too quickly.
Staying Committed to Her Dream
Throughout these experiences, Marya kept a specific career goal in mind. Reaching it took time. She applied more than once and faced rejection along the way, which led her to pause and reassess her timing rather than abandon the goal altogether.
During that period, she focused on teaching in Japan, allowing herself to grow while gaining distance and perspective. As she explained, there was a time when she stopped applying and focused on teaching, but the goal was always in the back of her mind. When she later returned to Hawai‘i, she decided to try again—this time with greater clarity about what the role required and what she could bring to it.
Being accepted felt meaningful not just because she reached her goal, but because it affirmed the path she had taken to get there. Today, her work requires adaptability, clear communication, and calm decision-making—skills shaped gradually through experience rather than a single turning point. Her journey reflects a process of trusting herself, staying persistent, and continuing forward even when the path wasn’t obvious.
Advice for Students and Early-Career Readers
In her own words:
Drawing from her own experience, Marya shares a few reflections for those navigating their own paths:
Be patient with your direction. Not having everything figured out right away is part of the process.
Keep trying if something matters to you. Progress doesn’t always happen on the first attempt.
Learn from every role. Each experience adds perspective, even if it’s not your final destination.
Stay curious and ask questions. Growth often comes from being open to feedback and learning.
Be kind to yourself and others. Growth can be emotionally demanding, and learning not to be too hard on yourself can make the journey more sustainable.
Credits
Interview with Marya (Hawaii), December 2025.
This feature has been edited for clarity and length.
