"Making
a Way to Make a Difference" By
Karisa Antonio, '09
It
is early in the morning, and I am wondering, as I often do—how did I get here?
This goes back to an earlier and very important question—why am I here? It is this common question that has been my guide,
leading me through the twists and turns of my early career in music and social
services, and one, I hope, that will not cease to bring me into a future full
of the unexpected!
My
identity as a musician was established at an early age. Whatever musical
opportunity was presented to me, I accepted and dove in deeply. Singing and
playing the piano, the flute, and the oboe were all praised and recognized by
friends, teachers and family. By the time I was ready to choose a major in
college, there was no doubt in my mind that I would become a musician. I
considered nothing else! A Bachelors Degree in music led to a Masters Degree,
and the Masters Degree then led to a Doctoral Degree.
About
two years into my DMA at Stony Brook, I started to notice a nagging feeling.
The feeling said to me that maybe I didn’t really want to be an orchestra
musician and teach at a college, like I had been telling myself and everyone
else for the last eight years. It pointed out that what I really cared about
was people. And what was I going to do about it? I felt helpless. What was I
supposed to do—start all over with a new major in Social Work? That was not
going to happen. I was ready to be done with school. Besides, I still loved
playing music. I didn’t want to give it up! The problem was this feeling,
intruding on my carefully thought-out plans.
I
made a new plan. I would do more music teaching, which I loved, but I would also
volunteer once a week with New York Cares.
I thought that would satisfy my urge to serve others and help me focus on my
performance career. Not so. The more I worked with people, the more I wanted to
do it. I increased my volunteering and started to think about getting involved
in a non-profit social service organization. I decided that the best way for a
person with a doctorate in music to gain practical experience in a non-profit
was to join Americorps, the national
and community service organization. It was easier said than done. For months, I
applied to positions on the Americorps
website and didn’t hear a word. Although I had faced rejection before, I still
wondered if everything would work out in the end. [AB1]
Eventually
I was accepted into the New York City
Civic Corps and spent a great year working for the Department of Parks and
Recreation for the program Shape Up NYC,
coordinating free exercise classes in low-income neighborhoods New York City.
When my term was over, I had gained valuable management, administrative, and
organizational skills, and I felt I was finally ready to realize my dream of
working in a non-profit social service organization. Even with all the working,
teaching, and volunteering experience I had accumulated, it still took four
months of steady searching to find a position that was the right fit.
As
Assistant Director of Arts and Education for the Center at Lenox Hill
Neighborhood House, I design and manage 60-70 weekly arts and education
programs for older adults, while working with a great team of co-directors to
run the daily operations of the Center. I teach, manage conflicts, supervise
interns, submit reports, and essentially do whatever needs to be done to keep
the Center running in the best possible way. My job is an incredible
combination of teamwork, independence, creativity, teaching, and direct
service.
I
achieved my dream! Or did I? Certainly I have work that I consider very
meaningful—each day I help people have better, more fulfilling lives.
Artistically, I have some great projects going, so I haven’t given up the music
that I love either. But I’ve also learned that when you have a dream, you never
ever get to the bottom of that dream. There’s always another challenge in front
of you, always something more you can learn, always some way you could improve
or build on what you’ve begun. Not getting to the bottom of it is the greatest
challenge and the greatest promise of a life-focused career.
Maybe
you want to make a difference but don’t know how.
I
offer these simple suggestions for use wherever you are, whatever you’re
working on.
- Make a Plan. What can you do today to move toward your goal?
- Never Give Up.Rejection and failure are important parts of the growth process!
- Be Flexible, and Keep Growing.Adapt to your circumstances—opportunities wait in unexpected places.
- Enjoy
Today.
Nothing will ever be perfect, including your dream job, so practice positive thinking for the here and now.
