Paying it Forward

Back in January, there was some social media campaign bouncing around Facebook that was calling for people to “pay it forward”.  There was some twist on the typical meaning, I can’t quite remember what.  It was one of those chain-letter-ish things that works to guilt people into doing nice things.  I am relatively immune to guilt trips, unless they are competitive and there are prizes!  Then I am all in.  At the same time, my MSU Alumni Association career coach, Dave Isbell, picked up on this theme and enhanced it Sparty-style.  On the Spartans Helping Spartans blog,  the challenge was for Spartan Alumni to pay it forward by doing good things for other Spartans.  Specifically, the first five people to comment on his post would be included in a year long effort to do a separate good deed for five other Spartans.   In return, Dave would send out “something green and white” as a paying-it-forward kick off of sorts. 

That was January.  Now in April my package arrived, full of all sorts of goodies from the MSUAA prize closet, including a hand written reminder of the contract.  Well Dave, I have not forgotten!  For the last few months, I have been noodling on all the good things that are within my power to do for other Spartans in the world. 

Not hard, since from the day I graduated, the message from MSU has been to watch out for other alumni and give them a hand whenever possible, especially professionally.  It was preached on graduation day, from then-MSU President John DiBiaggo.   Being helped by another alumnae was how I got my first job, actually.  In the terrible job market of 1992, another Spartan advocated for me at Butterworth Hospital; a complete stranger!  Out of a large pool of applicants, I was singled out to become a lab tech at the fertility clinic.  Now, of course I got the job because of all my great qualities and the fact that I nailed the interview (of course!), but it is always good to have someone on the inside looking out for you.  Since then, I have always pulled for a fellow alumnus when I have had the chance.

Now I have five chances – five ways to make a difference for another Spartan this year.  How will I spend it?  I have some surprises in store for you Dave, and I will be sharing them here as I tick them off my list.  To get a head start, just incase I run out of time at the end of the year, I gave one of the goodies from the package to my son Jacob, who will be attending MSU next year as a freshman.  Is that cheating? Also Dave, there is that coffee date that you and I still have pending, and if I buy the coffee, maybe that could be another spare good deed for insurance….