W&L Almuna Gives Career Advice to Students

W&L Almuna Gives Career Advice to Students

Kassie Scott reflects on life lessons and her experience as a Washington and Lee student.

(Scott uses a slideshow to demonstrate career advice. | SOURCE: Author)

“The most important things I have done in my life are not on my resume,” said Kassie Scott during her lecture titled “More than Money: My Journey So Far.” Speaking to a crowd at the Hillel House on March 5th, Scott said this despite the significant academic and professional accolades she has received.

Scott, a 2018 graduate of Washington and Lee, was an active community member during her four years in Lexington. She established a gender action group to support women and co-founded Friday Underground (FUDG), a student organization that provides an alcohol-free alternative to fraternity or sorority parties. Additionally, Scott served as a peer counselor and a writing tutor. 

Scott went on to be a Rhodes Scholarship finalist and a Fulbright scholar. Currently, she works as an economic development manager in Springfield, Ohio. After receiving her master's in social data science at the University of Oxford, she has worked in cities including Washington D.C. and Liberia.

She focused her lecture on the critical lessons she learned through her experiences as a low-income, first-generation college student at W&L and her life after graduation.  

Scott shared that during her time at W&L, she had a misguided perspective, which caused her to struggle with self-doubt and consider dropping out. She said, “I felt that the rich students were so far above me, and they were talking down to me, and that Washington and Lee brought me here to make the rich kids look better. This was a horrible view to have.” Scott stressed the importance of using university counseling services and “acknowledging your wins” to increase self-confidence.  

Reflecting on her time since graduation, Scott shared seven life lessons that she believes are important for W&L students to remember.

(A slide showing Scott’s seven lessons. | SOURCE: Author)

The first lesson was that “honoring your values and speaking up pays off in the long run.” She gave credit to the speaking tradition for helping her find her voice. Scott stressed that her experiences have shown that “speaking up leads to a better outcome,” and people should not hesitate to raise concerns about problems. 

Her second lesson was to “follow your curiosity.” She explained that at one of her jobs, she felt “that men were receiving more opportunities than me because I was a woman.” She followed her intuition, and because of her curiosity, “studies were done, and they realized this was true.” 

She also said that W&L cultivated her ability to explain and share her ideas, a skill which gave her “an edge to get through incredibly hard coursework at Oxford.”  

“Don’t fake it ‘til you make it and don’t fall for any get-rich-quick schemes,” encapsulated her third lesson. Scott argued that people “should do what aligns with their interests and values,” not do it “just for the paycheck.” She told a story about giving up a high-paying job because “it was boring,” and she “felt like I am not actually essential.” She shared that she has felt happier at jobs where she felt a purpose and a clear alignment with her interests.

The fourth lesson was to avoid quick overspecialization, instead using your “twenties to explore.” Scott talked extensively about how she worked various jobs and used this experience to discover the type of job she wanted. She credited the W&L liberal arts education for helping her explore and giving her unique abilities. “Everyone wants a unicorn who can do many different things,” she added. 

The fifth lesson she discussed was “You cannot be bought.” Scott shared the difficulties of being a woman in the workforce, expressing that  “there are a number of challenges just based on my gender alone.” She gave an example where she was tricked into an interview with a CEO who wanted her to be his escort. “It is horrible to put up with it,” she lamented, adding, “No matter how high you get, it is so hard to be a woman and break into tech.” 

“If you’re in the gym by 6, you’re rich,” Scott argued in her sixth lesson. She emphasized the importance of physical and mental health once you get into the workforce. She claimed, “It is hard for people to respect you if you put your own health behind your money.” Scott emphasized the importance of a holistic view of personal success beyond one’s professional life, including fitness and health.

The seventh lesson was “wealth metric does not equal impact metric.” Scott claimed that “we need better metrics to measure human well-being.” She used her experience working different jobs as evidence that “someone can be super dysfunctional and be making a lot of money.” She further argued, “You should not focus on the labels and titles; just focus on the life you believe in.” 

Scott concluded by stressing that we should not be afraid to fail and hit rock bottom. Once you hit rock bottom, “you realize there is more to all of it than just money,” she said.