Meet Cydnee Patterson | Ph.D Candidate, Educator, And Social Media Influencer
We had the good fortune of connecting with Cydnee Patterson and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Cydnee, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Once Ellen Degeneres said that if you are about to embark on a new journey and it scares the crap out of you, it’s probably going to be the best decision you’ve ever made. Now, this doesn’t mean that during the journey, you won’t encounter failure or defeat. To me, it means that there will always be a positive outcome. This mindset has allowed me to take many risks and consistently identify my journey’s significance regardless of the outcome. Some things in life are simply learning opportunities to prepare you for what’s next to come. I always ask myself, what’s the worse thing that could happen? By removing anxiety around “risk,” I have been able to accomplish so much.
In 2018, I took a life-altering risk by moving 2000 miles away to Los Angeles, California. Before proceeding, I felt myself becoming complacent in my career and my lifestyle. I wanted a change but was also afraid of failure; my support system and family reside in the Southeast Texas area. Could I survive on my own? I took a leap f faith, and throughout that 3-year journey, I learned so much. I gained confidence that I didn’t know that I was capable of through both failure and success. I began my Ph.D. journey at Pepperdine and went from a classroom teacher to a school leadership team member.
At the bare minimum taking risks has helped me acquire problem-solving skills, self-efficacy, and self-confidence.
TAKE THAT RISK; DON’T BE BOUND BY FEAR AND SELF-DOUBT.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I got to where I am in life through a lot of self-reflection and networking. I believe in growing; you have to surround yourself with like-minded individuals and those with very different perspectives; collaboration. Human interaction is key to learning about the world around us and allows us to have a keen sense of self-awareness. Lastly, the ability to embrace success and failure with the same level of gratitude is vital to actual achievement and success.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my parents (Darrell Patterson and Adrienne Berry-Guillory) for always encouraging me and empowering me to do the things in life that bring me joy and self-fulfillment.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturallyclarke/channel/?hl=en
Image Credits
Photo Credit: Christina Deshomme https://www.instagram.com/christinadeshomme/?hl=en
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