The law clinic that Angela talked about seemed like a really powerful experience to me. I’ve never studied law but I can say that in physics, tangible experiments makes the material much more and comprehensible and accessible. It seems like an adaptation of the labs that exist in STEM classes to humanities and social science. For me, this was one of the difficulties in political classes: unlike literature it wasn’t creative and unlike physics it was very intangible to me. I might look for classes like this in later semesters when fulfilling my distribution requirements. I also was intrigued by the fact that these clinics work on real cases. I can imagine how impactful that clinic would be to not only get first-hand experience but to really make a difference in someone’s life, even as an undergrad.

In this week’s podcast, there was one piece of advice that truly enlightened me. For example, Mary Opperman spoke of how she got a piece of advice when she was younger that was “you don’t need to be an expert to be the best in your field. You need to recognize that you are not an expert in order to succeed.” This advice truly hit me hard, especially studying at Cornell. In this university, you are learning amongst the best of the best students, and doing the best is virtually impossible. However, if you recognize that you won’t be the best in your field but instead use your unique attribute together, you will truly succeed in life. Recently, I’ve been indistinctively doing this but hearing it in words was impactful and gave me hope that I can succeed in life if I try my best and employ my unique characteristics.

After listening to podcast Ross Buzz 2.24, I realised that I have really no clue about the struggles many people who work full time face. For example, the idea of employees getting punished to leave their job due to covid-19 was very suprising to me as I never expected people who personally decide to leave their job to face such discrimination. It also reminded me of why so many labor laws exist and why it is important to respect anyone who is working 9-5 to put food on the table. Additionally, I was shocked to learn that an African American who closed his eyes once in a 12 hr shift was immediately terminated as compared to white workers who were given many chances. I myself have African American friends who work full time right now but never realized that facing such discrimination is a very real thing for them. It made me realize that it is very important to be empathetic to everybody. Also, after listening to the podcast I learnt how devastating it can be for people who lose their jobs. For example, one of my close relatives recently lost their job and I thought that would be no big deal due to their savings and all. However, after getting back in touch with them I realized there are many other factors that are involved such as the struggle of being able to get a new job given the competition as well as being able to provide for the whole family given the rise of covid illnesses. To conclude, I realized how important it is to be more aware of other people’s situation before developing a certain viewpoint of them as you never know what the other person has to go through.

This interview with Angela Cornell, a Clinical Professor of Law, and Mary Opperman, the Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Cornell was very eye-opening. Angela Cornell brought to light many of the injustices minorities currently face in our society. Specifically, she mentioned a case that she had worked on in which a Black worker closed his eyes at end of a 12 hour shift and was fired, meanwhile his white counterparts were given warnings instead for doing the same. This made me realize how much racism still prevails in everyday life and how we must continue to educate ourselves and work against it. Additionally, she talked about how labor law has developed in relation to the pandemic. It was very sad to hear about workers losing their jobs and house insurance.

Although there were some somber parts of the interview, many of the topics discussed were very inspiring. Mary Opperman gave us insight on finding a passion and working in a job that you love. She told us the story of how she found her passion of working with people when she worked as a bartender. Her advice really put things into perspective. There are moments in which I find myself striving for the wrong things in life. It is so easy to get caught up in getting a “high rank” job instead of working towards happiness in life. I left this interview with a sense of awareness and inspiration.

I’m sure we’ve all heard over and over the saying “turn your passion into a career.” For many, this may be easy money, but for me this has always been a tough demand. I tend to ask myself: what am I passionate about? Would a career in what I’m passionate about change my passion for it for the worse? How can I be sure what I’m passionate about can be manifested into a career? All questions that are becoming more and more important as I get closer to the ~real world~ and its expectations for me to jump into a career.

Hearing from Angela Cornell, a Clinical Professor of Law, and Mary Opperman, the Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Cornell, helped me gauge how other people have (successfully) resolved these important career questions. Professor Cornell took her passion for improving society’s stance on the average worker into law school, which led her to labor law more specifically. She now actively fights for the rights of middle class workers who have been deprived of justice in the workplace. To her, daily interactions with struggling workers made her recognize the great reward that comes from winning a case on behalf of a victim of labor law. It is clear that her passion for social justice did not dwindle over time just because it became her career– rather, it excelled and led her toward more passionate work. If we truly are passionate about something, the work that comes from it will be rewarding and will invigorate our passions further.

VP Opperman recounted her time as a bartender when describing how she got into the human resources field– it was this part-time job that made her realize what she truly had a passion for: hearing people’s stories and engaging in the personal dynamics of life. And now, as one of the most important leaders at Cornell, VP Opperman understands to the fullest what it means to pursue a passion and to do it wholeheartedly. She has proved that moving up in leadership positions does not mean you have to desert your passions– she is still at the heart of the university’s decisions in safely and morally keeping our community alive during the pandemic. I am positive that her passion for working with and hearing from people is just as intact as it was in her bartender days, if not more.

These two amazing panelists at the Fellow Interview enlightened me on the way passion continuously drives how people do and should shape their careers. Passion is not found on demand, nor does it tell us exactly what career path to choose. But it does give us the motivation to be persistent in our decisions and the foundation to base our plans. Thank you to Professor Cornell and VP Opperman for sharing your stories on how you built meaningful careers out of your deepest passions.

I have never touched anything close to human resources and law, so this interview was very insightful for me, helped me gain a better understanding of the world. In particular, it helped me realize just how flawed our society still is, and I found how they got that information to be very interesting. According to the fellows, there have already been many cases of discrimination among workplaces that not many notice, despite all the efforts to make workplaces inclusive for everyone. Then, when the coronavirus pandemic hit, even more of these problems came to light. Thanks to the many examples that were given to me, I now understand the severity of the situation, and how I can act to change the world. Through this interview, I found a new dream of becoming a leader capable enough to analyze workplace conditions and determine if they are truly inclusive and supportive as I would claim them to be. That way, my company will succeed even more and everyone will become happier in general.

When listening to the Fellow interview this week with Mary Opperman and Angela Cornell, something struck me. At one point, the Fellows mentioned that while we are all Ivy League students and will get offered some extremely high-paying jobs out of college, to value enjoying your work over your salary. They stated their position to “never work for a jerk” and to value sanity over a paycheck. While I completely understand their point and where the Fellows come from, I slightly disagree. Two quotes come to mind when thinking about this topic: “it’s called work for a reason” and “if you enjoy what you do, you never work a day in your life.” While these are both excellent points, I tend to agree with the former much more. While it is paramount to not go into a field you hate, part of the price of the paycheck is the stress of the job. I believe that finding a balance between these two extremes is crucial as to not overstress; however, it would be unwise to ignore the fact that money talks. Perhaps after working for 30 years, I will think differently…

Yesterday I attended this week’s episode of Rose Buzz, featuring Mary Opperman and Angela Cornell.  Hearing from them was very interesting for me, as I have no experience in, and little knowledge of, Human Resources and law.  It was really interesting to hear about their career paths and their jobs, which are very different from what I curretly study.  While I do not plan to go into those fields, it was really eye-opening to learn what they are about.  Surprisingly, I found a lot of their career advice to be really helpful and applicable.  For example, Mary Opperman discussed the importance of good leadership skills and of listening and learning from those you lead, which I think is really important.  Another aspect of the talk which I found fascinating was when they shared their experiences of how their work changed when the pandemic hit.  Mary Opperman talked about how she had to deal with budget cuts and worked to keep people employed even if they weren’t actually working.  She also described how she had to make tough descisions.  Hearing about that from her perspective was in a way comforting, as it’s easy to think of the university administration as one whole unit that does not care much about individuals.

After attending the fellow interview with Mary Opperman and Angela Cornell, human resources as whole really stood out to me. I have never really stepped into the shoes of those who would be greatly affected by the pandemic, so I learned a lot from the conversation going on. However, losing a job or having difficulties while currently in a job  has definitely been an issue within my family as one of my parents has had a problem and to hear about it all the time years ago with nothing to do about it makes everyone feel so helpless. This makes human resources stand out as a group and it makes what they do seem so important to many of individuals. They stories they both told really emphasize the amount of greatness they have achieved in their careers leading up to being a Cornell faculty member and has inspired me to have a great legacy as well.

As a STEM student, I seldom have courses or opportunities to hear about the areas of expertise of this week’s interviewees, so it was fascinating to have the opportunity to hear about their perspectives and work. It was particularly interesting to hear about the tough decisions that are often made as Chief Human Resources Officer, and it opened my eyes to a perspective I hadn’t considered before, especially in the context of the pandemic. It gave me insight into the tough decisions that were made and why, and I greatly appreciated that new viewpoint. Aside from that, it was overall inspiring to hear the about the paths both Mary Opperman and Angela Cornell took to get to where they are today, and their discussion of leadership was both empowering and educational.

Listening in on this interview was an absolute pleasure. Something I really appreciated hearing about was the reflection of COVID-19’s impact on the economy, specifically how it exposed how essential workers are mistreated in this country. For example, while many of us were able to stay home while the virus spread quickly, essential workers had to continue to work despite science still learning about how COVID-19 was transmitted. The pandemic has exposed the tremendous inequities we need to address in this country. Regarding advice, one that stood out to me was that as a leader you should lead with compassion and respect, and to recognize that you learn the most from people that are the most different from you. I personally aspire to be a great leader and will certainly take this advice to heart in my current roles.

I attended the rose buzz interview with Angela Cornell and Mary Opperman; much of the zoom/ podcast opened up dialogue on work, dignity, leadership amongst other topics. I found it insightful and  intellectual, so I decided to dedicate this post to the both of them and create space for their spoken word.

A few quotes that resonated with me:

“know yourself and what grounds you and brings you joy. ground your career in what brings you happiness, balance, fulfillment and joy.”

“Lead with compassion, respect, and recognize you’re going to learn the most from people who are different than you.”

“Always interview back”

“Make sure your leadership team is dynamic with different lived experiences, speak the truth of power and are not afraid.”

I think I really needed to hear what Ms. Opperman and Professor Cornell said tonight during the Rose Buzz House Fellow interview. I have been so focused on obtaining the qualifications, skills, and background necessary for my future, which has been quite overwhelming. I’ve wondered if I need to get multiple majors or experiences in order to handle the challenges which will be presented by my future career. However, one of the things Ms. Opperman said regarding her leadership experience resonated with me. She reminded me that I don’t have to be an expert at something in order to work with or lead others, I just have to recognize that I’m not the expert. In this way, I only really need an understanding of how others can contribute their expertise and how people can collaborate, rather than trying to be an expert in all of the fields myself. That is what makes a good leader; the ability to recognize the strengths of each person and encourage collaboration.

Something else that both Ms. Opperman and Professor Cornell touched on was the idea of community service and giving back to those around you. This is something which I have been looking into, since I agree that a sense of community is very important. I really appreciate that they are so involved in not only the lives of Cornell students but also the greater Ithaca area. Helping others is rewarding for everyone and I think that the opportunities to do so should be made easily available for Cornell students. We are so lucky to be here and if we can contribute to the rest of the community beyond the boundaries of the campus, I think it would mean a lot.

After attending this Rose Buzz House Fellow interview I learned many interesting facts about Mary Opperman who is the Vice-President of Human Resources, and Professor Cornell who is the director of the Cornell Labor Law Clinic. An important topic that was mentioned was how the labor law clinic helps improve people who were treated unfairly with their jobs and how it allows students to gain real-world experience. I can imagine what some people who are unemployed had to go through, and with this clinic, there will be a greater chance of justice for the unemployed. In addition, Ms. Opperman provided extremely encouraging words on what it takes to be a good leader and on helping others. I make sure that when an opportunity that allows me to help others in any way arises, I make sure that I take it. Helping others is beneficial for both parties and it encourages people to pass on the small good deed to others. Overall, this interview provided me with much information about topics ranging from making sure I can help others and how to be a good leader in the workforce. I am glad I was able to attend.

I attended the Fellow Interview this week with Mary Opperman and Angela Cornell. I really appreciated hearing about their experiences throughout their careers. The brief discussion about leadership really resonated with me because I hope to use my degree to eventually obtain a position in management. They said that you learn the most from people who are the most different from you, which is true now that I think about it. People normally want to gravitate towards those who are similar, because conversation will be easy and you share the same views. This is why diversity in all things (even diversity in thought), is important for creating teams that can solve problems and enact change. I feel like employers who interview and hire people should really take this into consideration, that they learn the most from those who are different. However, it does make sense that sometimes the best interviews happen with those that you can “vibe” with the best.