Sichen Liu's Comm299 Blog

Honestly speaking, I sometimes felt oddly oppressed with thoughts and concerns about my future career plan after COMM299 class. To some extent, this course broke the little bubble I use to live in and opened a scary but exciting world full of great opportunities as well as great challenges for us. It provides many resources to help us build our brands by teaching us how to write a strong and focused resume and cover letter that helps differentiate us from other candidates. It also introduced proactive  approaches to create employment opportunities such as information interview and approach letter.  From a real-world business perspective, Phillipe Desrochers and my TA Pia Ghosh  effectively taught us professional skills and tips to stand out from the crowd, to seize the opportunities, and ultimately to find the most suitable position in the outside world for ourselves.

Besides all these career fundamentals and professional skills, the most important thing I have taken out of Comm299 is its powerful influence on my way of thinking. It evokes me to think seriously about who I am and what exactly I wanted in life. I feel fortunate to have this class when I am currently at a stage of deciding my BCom option which can be considered as a life-changing decision since it would have a significant impact on where I would end up and whom I would be immersed with in the coming years.

I still have a long way to chase my dream, but I will always keep the following quote in mind: Be Engaged, Be Confident, and Be Myself.

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In public life we can see quiet heroes, those who take a stand on a matter of principle or honour even when it will damage their careers or private life. Then there are those whose spirituality is an inspiration and blessing to everybody who meets them. Others selflessly care for those people most in need and devote their lives to doing so. Mother Teresa is somebody who falls into this category.

When reading a biography on Mother Teresa, many of her quotes bring tears to my eyes. She makes me want to be a better human. She is upfront and has a way of evoking your soul to wake up and reminds us that although our eyes are open, we choose not to see many things.

My English teacher from high school has spent a few wonderful days in Mother Teresa’s presence and many more days as a co-worker helping her Missionaries of Charity sisters, brothers and priests caring for the poorest of the poor.  According to her, to spend any time at all with Mother Teresa was like entering another level of existence.  Her spirit was already in Heaven and she helped us to get a glimpse of its promises and yet her Heaven included this earth and she was completely in the here and now when she was speaking to another human being whether it was a sick homeless dying man or the president of a country.  She saw God in everyone she met and she loved us all and we were blessed by her intense love.  Many people have told me that spending an afternoon at a church listening to Mother Teresa or even reading about her has changed their lives, given them new priorities.  She looked at everyone with the eyes of love.  She never judged anyone although she prayed hard for those she thought might be in spiritual danger.

Mother Teresa inspired me to love my own family, my neighborhood, my city passionately.  Then I could truly love the world. She was dedicated to help the poor, the dying, helped them see death as a friend, their way home to God.  Showing compassion to those who have nothing to give in return is truly a unique kindness. For me, all those great things she had done is more than religious obligation; it’s genuinely altruistic and based in love.