Aditi Mishra
Product
Grit is having stamina.
Grit is sticking with your future—day in, day out, not just for a week, not just for a month, but for years—and working really hard to make that future a reality." -Angela Lee DuckworthGrowing up, I had a strong penchant for reading and writing, and an equally strong aversion to math. If left to my own devices, I would’ve opted for a qualitative major in college, but I was instructed to choose something, anything, quantitative. I wound up graduating with a BS in Economics and a minor in Math. I later went on to pursue a career in tech by way of code school; this time of my own volition.
My college advisors applauded me for being able to steadily progress from elementary level math courses to the upper level ones. Meanwhile, the folks at the math tutoring center would joke that I needed my own mailbox in their office since that’s where I spent all my time (we became great friends, and they supported me even when I was taking advanced classes that weren’t in the scope of the tutoring center). Suffice to say, this was not an easy, breezy, linear journey for me. I struggled often. I failed occasionally. But ultimately, I grew.
This gritty, “pick yourself up and try again” mentality has served me well in the workplace, as well as in life. And although I’m learning now that knowing when to quit is an important skill too, I think it's perfectly suited for an opportunity like this; where we’re all here for the marathon, not the sprint.