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revisit RISK AND REWARD

What happened to Chandra? As Chandra says, “Sinking rated and director of the
was not an option, so of course I had to swim.” Not National Responsible Father-
about to let the reward of education slip away, she found hood Clearing House.
a productive risk: learning, and using, different note- What does this mean for
taking approaches for different courses. Courses like
math required focus on equations and formulas. To you? Thriving in the college classroom
absorb facts and concepts for American government, she requires patience, focus, and the ability to adapt. You
used topic headers and bullet points underneath. Some- might feel insignificant in a large lecture class. You might
times, a highlighter helped her isolate important points. rely too heavily on technology when you would benefit
Other times, she wrote down large chunks of information more from taking down key points with pen and paper.
to help her remember it. “I had to experiment along the You might find that what works in one class might not
way,” she said. work in another. Experiment until you find the right
Chandra proudly graduated from Virginia with her strategies for any given course. Risk spending a week
double major, and later embarked on a career in corpo- using a new strategy or technique in all of your classes
rate communications and public relations, working as to see if it suits one or more of them. Evaluate what
an associate producer at Black Entertainment Television reward you experienced in each case. If it made a positive
(BET) and a publicist at HBO. During the 9/11 terrorist difference for one or more classes, continue using it.
attacks, she worked as press secretary for the New Jer- What risk may bring reward beyond your world? A career in
sey Secretary of State. Today, Chandra runs her own public relations can give you the opportunity to make a
public relations firm, Moona Inc., using listening and difference for others, as can many career areas. Check out
note-taking skills to help clients construct effective the websites of two companies or organizations that inter-
media kits. Her entrepreneurial risks have rewarded her est you. Read their online media kits to learn more about
with several high-profile clients including Simone them. Consider the risk of pursuing work with one of them
(daughter of music icon Nina Simone), actress Samaria at some point, or at least see if what you read inspires you
Graham, celebrity makeup artist Kim Baker, producer to make a difference with your career path. Finally, if you
Pamm Malveaux, President Obama’s Fatherhood and are interested in public relations, earn the reward of ground-
Mentoring Initiatives Fatherhood Buzz Tour, and Ken- level experience by volunteering to develop a media kit for
neth Braswell, executive dire ctor of Fathers Incorpo- a local business.

GLOBAL RI SK AND REWARD After living in Tokyo for some time, New Zealander and cyclist

Geoff Barnett invented what he calls the Shweeb, consisting of a
system of above-ground monorails from which hang see-through
capsules equipped with pedals. Each rider occupies a capsule and
propels him- or herself by pedaling as though on a recumbent
bike. The prototype was built in Rotorua, New Zealand. Barnett’s
risk has already earned him the reward of a $1 million prize from
Google in recognition of the Shweeb’s potential to address trans-
portation issues in crowded urban areas. 9

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