Although your plans may seem up in the air now and you are wondering why you spent so much time planning for things may not be possible for now, you are actually lucky! Let me tell you why. You already know change is the one constant in life and have experienced it yourself many times: maybe you moved to a new city, changed schools, changed majors or changed jobs… Having to face the consequences of a pandemic so early in your career, you are learning what most people have to learn later in life. Most people have to adapt when they are already used to working in a specific role – often for decades! At some point, unexpected family/life events, changes in the economy or the environment forces you to adapt when you do are not really prepared to do so. For me personally, the first career change I faced came in the financial crisis in 2008 and it was nothing short of terrifying. Nobody had prepared me for this. I naively thought my career plan was good for life! I ultimately adapted but spent many sleepless nights wondering what I would do next. Lucky for you, you are learning how to modify plans and create new paths in the early stages of your career. Ability to adapt might be the hardest skill to learn – or teach – and you are learning it before even graduating college. You have managed to modify plans overnight; you were able to finish a semester online and make it work. This accomplishment is already a testament to your resilience, which should make you confident you can adapt easily many more times in your careers. We are so proud of you. You showed us you could do it. We are here if you want to discuss your ideas and new paths. Reach out to us at cpd@mercy.edu for a one on one conversation.