Laila Arain & Stephanie Mireku | How'd You Do It & Why Should I Care?

Laila Arain: 0:00

Hi, everyone. Welcome to the next episode of the Bay Street Capital Holdings podcast titled How'd You Do It & Why Should I Care? This series aims to highlight women doing amazing work in various industries. So today, we are so lucky to be joined by Stephanie Mireku, who is Assistant Director of Alumni Relations at Providence College. Hi, Stephanie, lovely to have you on the show.

Stephanie Mireku: 0:20

Laila, thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited about this opportunity,

Laila Arain: 0:24

of course. So let's jump right into the questions that start off with a quick introduction about yourself and perhaps an answer to the main question of the podcast, which is, how do you do it and why should I care?

Stephanie Mireku: 0:34

Absolutely. So my pleasure. So I work in higher education, I have been working in higher education for almost 10 years now. I actually did my undergraduate education at UMass Dartmouth, where I studied English and Spanish. And I went on to do a graduate program, an MBA, specifically from Clark University. And before I started, my MBA actually started my career in higher education, I basically have kind of done lots of different functional areas, or been in lots of functional areas, across higher ed, which I'll get a little bit more into, as we continue. But essentially, it's been a lot of connections with people, a lot of relationship building, and really circling in or really diving into what my passions and what things I wanted to give back in. That really has pushed me forward along the way. And I think the reason why people should care is that it really does take the drive to continue moving towards what is most important to you, and staying true to your values, but also leveraging the relationships in your life to help you achieve your goals.

Laila Arain: 1:59

Definitely. So this role as assistant director of Alumni Relations is a very people focused role. So did you always know you wanted to head into this type of role? What inspired you to join this industry?

Stephanie Mireku: 2:11

Yeah, so it's, it's a really interesting story, actually, I did not know. And I've just been very fortunate to, you know, meet a lot of people along the way, who've helped propel me forward and have believed in me and have given me opportunities to really grow and learn as much as possible. So I started out, I had mentioned that I studied English and Spanish and my undergraduate career. So actually, my first role, I have to credit, the former Wheelock College, which is now part of Boston University. But I actually started working in the Global Education Center at Wheelock. And I was able to work with these amazing scholars from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, that were doing an exchange program through the State Department, and Fulbright. And through that program, it was really my formal introduction to higher education outside of being a student. And that was just an incredible experience, I got to travel during that time, I got to build some great relationships and really learn some valuable skills. And that ended up pushing me or giving me an opportunity to step into social innovation. So I worked for a social innovation center called the Aspire Institute at Wheelock College after that, and then from there, I really found my passion in higher education. And I really found ways to continue to grow my skill and, you know, pivot where needed. So after working at Wheelock, I actually went on to Clark University. And I started working in a basically at the intersection of student activities, and events management. And I certainly learned a lot through that, as you can imagine, very fast paced, you know, busy, sort of hands on type of role. And I did that for I did both roles for just about four years. The role at Wheelock in the role at Clark University, and then I transitioned actually, right. At a very interesting point in our history, march 2020. is when I started working at Providence College. Yeah,

Laila Arain: 4:29

the world ended.

Stephanie Mireku: 4:32

So, that's when I stepped into alumni relations. And honestly, it's been a great experience. So far, I've really been able to bring together a lot of the skill sets and interests that I have the relationship building that I mentioned, and really working with people, really helping people to shine, giving them opportunities to connect with each other and connect with their own passions, but also really promote philanthropy and giving back and cultivating community in that way. So that's been awesome. And a lot of creative projects to have been a big part of my role currently.

Laila Arain: 5:12

Wonderful. That's really great. And it seems like a lot of your past experience in your career has really helped you in this current position you have, but I'm curious what is what were the best resources, in your opinion that helped you get to where you are today?

Stephanie Mireku: 5:27

Absolutely. So I would actually say not to be a broken record, but it's really the people, I have to give credit to the people who have helped me along the way, I've had never had a formal mentor until 2021. Actually, I currently have a really great mentor. But I will say that it's really been the connections, you know, whether it's people who have recommended me for roles, whether it's people who have just checked in on me, people who are always happy to grab a coffee, whether it's people who just want to connect on a more informal way. You know, the friends that have been supporting me throughout my family has been amazing. So I really have to give so much credit to my support system, because that's really, you know, at the core of it,

Laila Arain: 6:21

definitely. And following on from that you mentioned, obviously, people were definitely core to this role. And I assume you must have spoken to a lot of people before joining this industry. But what were some lessons that you wish you would have known before joining the industry, something that, you know, the people you spoke to didn't mention, or forgot to say?

Stephanie Mireku: 6:38

Yeah, love that question. So I would definitely say, advocating for yourself is really important. So I think, you know, as a new professional, you know, early on in my career, and even throughout, I've definitely had moments where I was saying yes, too much, or I was taking on too much, or, you know, I had a hard time kind of balancing the different responsibilities, I tend to be someone who stays very busy, you know, whether it's volunteering in my community, whether it's writing, I have a passion for that, or whether it's, you know, my day work day to day work, or otherwise, you know, trying to be a good, you know, daughter or sister or otherwise, uh, sometimes that can be challenging to manage everything. But it is really important to say, hey, I need help, or, Hey, I need a break, or, you know, are there some additional resources that I can tap into? That's really important. And I think for some time, I thought that that was a reflection of me not having the appropriate competency. Whereas now I understand that that is a really important component of professional growth, personal growth, and all of that.

Laila Arain: 7:56

Definitely. And thinking about, you know, personal growth in the span of your career, what would you say was your biggest failure? And what did you learn from it? Yeah, so

Stephanie Mireku: 8:08

I like to think of failure as an opportunity to grow. So for me, it's really been about knowing when, you know, kind of expanding on what I had shared before, knowing when it's time to pivot, or knowing when it's time to stop something, or knowing when it's time to really just say, this doesn't serve me anymore. This doesn't work for me anymore. That could be with relationships that could be with opportunities that could be with really anything that takes capacity, and time and energy. And I think my biggest failure or opportunity to grow was really in the area of knowing where my limit was. And I would say that, as much as I consider it, a place where I miss stepped, it's also helped me to really learn more about mental health, because that's really important. And also to learn about how to ask for help, because I tend to be someone who, like I was saying before, do a lot, keep a lot on my plate. But it is, it is really important and it is quite alright, to ask for the help and get the support that's needed. So I think knowing now that it is okay to do that, and that it is actually showing strength to do that is something that I'm going to continue to hold on to as I move forward.

Laila Arain: 9:45

Definitely. That's really great advice. And I feel like a lot of young professionals when they start out in their career, they're just too afraid to ask for help because, you know, they'll have the idea in their head you know, what if my, you know, senior thing, I'm not good enough or anything but at the end of the day You know, now is the time to answer question, ask questions and ask all you want, because it's better you understand what you're doing now, rather than be confused further down the line? Exactly. Yep. And that's a really great piece of advice you gave, actually. But what specifically is one piece of advice that you wish, you know, you would give to somebody who is going to pursue a career similar to yours?

Stephanie Mireku: 10:23

Yeah, I would say, always be open to learning. I think sometimes there's this idea that you've made it when you are in the C suite, or you've made it when you can, you know, have someone pick up your phone for you, and you don't have to answer it directly. Or, you know, there's additional supports in place where it keeps you from being on the front line. But I do think that it takes a lot of humility, and a lot of respect for different roles and respect for learning and teamwork, to be able to say, hey, yes, you know, this may not be a direct part of my role, but I can learn something from the people that I'm working on this project with, or I can learn something from, you know, taking a day in this other role. Or I can learn something from going to this event, even though it may, you know, take me an extra half hour to get there or something like that. That is something that has been incredibly valuable to me every step of the way. And I definitely would encourage folks that are interested in higher education, or any front facing type of role to do that, because you can learn so much and really having that open mind will take you far,

Laila Arain: 11:50

for sure, for sure. And following on from that. I feel like people know a lot about the higher education fields. But I'm curious, what is one common myth about the you know, the field that you would like to debunk?

Stephanie Mireku: 12:01

Yeah. So I mean, of course, there's so many different functional areas. And I mentioned before that I've worked in a lot of different parts of them. But I would say, this whole idea of summers off, yes, some people have summers off. But, you know, we definitely work hard in higher education. Regardless of whether we're in financial aid, or whether we're in alumni relations, or whether we're in student activities, and so on, we definitely work hard to really contribute to the holistic and positive holistic experience of students, and community members. And we're really, in different ways trying to contribute to that experience. So that takes a lot mentally, emotionally, physically, and so on. So, you know, just thinking that oh, yeah, we're just in school forever. And we just, we have so much fun. Yes, there's definitely fun parts of it. But it does take a lot of

Laila Arain: 13:03

hard work. Definitely. And more about you, I'm sure, you know, obviously, no summers off, as you mentioned before, is it keeps you very busy this role in higher education, but in your free time? What have you read or listened to recently, this really inspired you? Yeah, absolutely.

Stephanie Mireku: 13:19

So to the tune of relationships, I actually really enjoy this podcast called Girls Night, and it's by Stephanie Mae Wilson. And one of the recent episodes that I listened to was about friendships in different seasons of life. And one of the things that I took from it that will stick with me is this idea of letting go, it's quite alright, if a relationship runs its course, it's, it's completely acceptable and normal to get to a point where something is not serving you well, or you see that it's really one sided, or there is no real value add any longer, or you just decide that it is not aligning with where you see yourself going, that it's okay to let go. That's been something that has been a struggle for me, personally and professionally. And I think that just accepting that and knowing that it doesn't mean that you wish ill on someone or that you don't care, it just means that you need to take a different direction. And it's probably the healthiest for all the parties involved.

Laila Arain: 14:32

That's yeah, that that's really interesting when I actually I didn't think of that. And as now that you mentioned, I'm thinking back to you know, the friends I had in high school and other friends I have in college and you know, people have lost along the way and people I've gained along the way so, yeah, it doesn't make sense when a friendship naturally or any relationship just runs its course it's best to let go for both parties.

Stephanie Mireku: 14:53

Yes, absolutely.

Laila Arain: 14:55

And then following on from that, talking about relationships and people in your life, who are three The people who have been the most influential to you, and I'm sorry, I had to be three. I know you mentioned this was the hardest question.

Stephanie Mireku: 15:05

Yeah, this was definitely difficult for me to narrow down. But I would say the first one is my mom, she is such a resilient person, she is so caring for the people around her. And she also is really good at setting boundaries for herself. So that is just, there's so much that I respect about her, but those are kind of the top of mind. And then I would say, one of my best friends, Nadia, she'll, she'll be a surprise that I shouted her out, because she, she likes to kind of keep things low key. But she is amazing. And she has been so supportive of me through every endeavor, since we've known each other and is so caring, she knows how to show up for people, but to show up for herself as well. And I really respect that about her. And then the third is a little bit non traditional. But I'm thinking of my circle just as an entity, because it was really hard to pick three, as I mentioned before, so just the circle of people around me. I'm really grateful to have had wonderful people, whether the teachers along the way, professors, friends, coworkers, I've had so many people around me that have just been incredibly supportive. I've served on committees, boards that have really helped me to grow in different ways. So I would say the circle for for the third.

Laila Arain: 16:47

Amazing. And then finally, to wrap up our conversation, what's one piece of advice that you wish you gave yourself at any point in your life?

Stephanie Mireku: 16:55

Yeah, so I would say the biggest thing amongst others. But the top one is really to be true to yourself. I think at the end of the day, you can try so hard to make people happy. And to, you know, check a box. But if you are not honest with yourself about what your limitations are, what really matters to you what your values are, and nobody can do that for you. So live in your truth. Be honest with yourself and use that along with your values to guide you and your will certainly figure out the way to go.

Laila Arain: 17:38

Amazing. Well, thank you so much, Stephanie for taking the time to speak with me today. This conversation was so refreshing and it was truly very, very engaging.

Unknown: 17:46

Thank you so much Laila for this opportunity. I appreciate it.

Laila Arain: 17:49

Of course. Bye bye

Stephanie Mireku: 17:51

bye