From the streets of Port Richmond to the waterfalls of Croatia. From the offices of Philly Magazine to the skyscrapers of Comcast. From the small town of Cinnaminson, New Jersey to the bustling city of Philadelphia. Andi has been everywhere and done it all. In this blog I’ll take you through 22 things I learned while interviewing 22 year-old Andi Odjemski.
What She’s Learned About Life
- Everything in life happens for a reason, but you won’t always know that reason right away
“Something my mom has always said is that everything happens for a reason. She’s repeated that to me throughout my life every time I’ve gotten upset about not getting a job I wanted or making a mistake or anything. I’ve learned It’s okay to be upset about things. I used to get upset when she told me that. But a day or two later I would realize she was right because moms are always right.”
- Stay true to yourself despite everything
“My bio has always said that [‘It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection’- the Bhagavad Gita] because especially when you work at a large company it can be easy to lose your values and who you are. But I think it’s really important to stay true to who you are.”
- First Impressions Matter
“Something my boss told me this summer that I did well was my professionalism. I think that how you hold yourself and how you dress and how you put yourself together makes a big difference. Making sure that when you walk into the room, you introduce yourself and shake everyone’s hand. Say hi to everyone in the hallway. It’s those little things that allows you to stand out.”
- You can have an impact on anyone’s life
“Being an orientation leader, taught me about the impact you can have on one person. You mold a student’s impression of Temple whether that’s good or bad, it kind of all falls back on you. Even as an orientation coordinator, I was impacting the leaders’ and how they would impact their students. I had the power to change and impact someone’s experience.”
- Save as much money as you can
“It’s not always practical to save money. I know people have to pay bills and groceries, I have all those expenses too. But I try to save about 50% of my paycheck, and budget for both necessities and leisure. Saving your money is so important because you can study abroad or buy yourself something nice. Saving your money will teach you how to be responsible.”
- Be open to new experiences
“Be open to new experiences. Even if you think you’re not going to like something, just go and check it out. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Nobody ever told me to put myself out there, it’s just something I did.”
- It’s okay to not know what’s coming next
“I have no idea what I’m going to do after college. I think it’s okay to not know what you’re doing. I’ve had no idea what I wanted to do every single year. I’ve changed my mind about twenty times. I think it’s totally okay to not know what you’re going to do. Being a communications major gives you the flexibility to do a lot of different things so I think that’s why I’m not scared. I know it’s so open ended, but I know I’ll find what truly makes me happy.”
- Be passionate about something
“I’m really passionate about food. I know it sounds weird. I could talk to you about all the different foods I’ve tried, and what food sales Trader Joe’s has going on right now. I would love to cook all day. One of my dreams would be to work for Food Network Magazine, and get to talk about food.”
What She Says About Happiness
- Happiness is the success that will be most rewarding
“Success to me is about being happy. I think to a lot of people success is about money or a job title. But success, to me, is about being happy with my life and loving my career. It’s about going to work, and feeling fulfilled, and coming home and still feeling happy with the life I have.”
- Sometimes it really is about the little things
“My favorite part of studying abroad was when I was standing under the waterfalls of the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia. It was the most spectacular thing I ever witnessed. I was in awe of the fact that I was there. It was truly magical. Those little experiences are what I will remember for the rest of my life. It’s the little things I will carry with me forever like the first Cappuccino I had in Italy.”
- Your accomplishments are something you should be proud of
“I’m really proud of studying abroad because that was all my own money. I saved up for that since high school. And it was a lot of money and no one gave me any money for it. All the 18 cities I visited, it was all me. I did that. When you are there and going to all these amazing places you’ve wanted to see your whole life, it feels amazing to say ‘I did this for myself’.”
- Learn to adapt
“When you’re studying abroad, things happen and change so quickly. Things go wrong all the time. And you’re in a different country, and have no idea what’s going on. I think adaptability was the biggest thing I learned while abroad. It was rough at first but it was amazing.”
- Remember you’re beautiful
“I’m definitely insecure about a lot of things like my body or not doing enough. And people will give me all these compliments when I tell them that, but when it’s you its so hard to appreciate what you have. It’s okay to not feel perfect, but you need to remember that at the end of the day you’re beautiful. I remind myself that I am beautiful, and I don’t need other people to tell me that. It’s hard when you don’t feel it, but you always have to remind yourself.”
- It’s okay to not be perfect
“You don’t always have to be perfect in life. You don’t have to do everything in life. You aren’t going to be able to do everything in life. For example, I withdrew from a class and my minor because it was taking such an emotional toll and physical toll on me. I wasn’t working out or eating properly. Take time for you and for your emotional health.”
What She Knows About Relationships
- Quality over Quantity
“When I was younger, everyone around me seemed to have fifteen cousins, and fifteen half cousins. And I asked myself, ‘Where are all my cousins?’ I never had such a big family. But I’ve realized, through the years, my family is so close and they’re my family. It really is quality over quantity. They’re always going to be there for me to the end. I don’t need anyone else but them because they’re my family.”
- Put yourself out there to make and retain relationships
“The best way to make friends is to put yourself out there. That’s the number one thing I’ve done at college. I’m naturally an introverted person, even if you would not think so. Putting yourself out there is the best way to make genuine friendships. But the best way to keep friends is to always check up with them. Always make an effort. People get busy, but making an effort to spend time with people is the best way to keep friendships strong.”
- Texting is not as personable
“If you call someone or facetime someone instead of just texting people it really makes a difference. It’s more personable than just texting. Sometimes I’ll facetime my friends just to ask ‘What are you doing later tonight?’ I really prefer Facetiming or calling to just texting”
- Networking is very important
“I think one of the most important things you can learn professionally, is how to network. I think networking is so important. It’s so uncomfortable, and I was so awkward when I first started. But people in the workforce want to meet young professionals. If you just email them or message them on LinkedIn, they will usually message you back. That is the best way to learn about different jobs and to make connections in jobs you want to work in. Networking is a key skill. And business students learn a lot about it, but I feel like other schools need to emphasize it more.”
- You don’t need to be in a relationship to feel fulfilled
“What even are those [#relationshipgoals]? I don’t even know what that is. A relationship to me is about being happy with someone. If you are happy with another person then that is #couplegoals. Flaunting your relationship can be good for some people. If you’re happy and want to show the world you’re happy, good for you. But if you’re not in a relationship, that doesn’t mean you’re not goals. If you don’t have a significant other that doesn’t make you less happy or successful. You don’t need a guy to be happy. Even if you’re seeing couple goals all over Instagram, don’t think you need that to be happy.”
What I Learned From Andi
- You can achieve anything you set your mind to
Whether that’s travelling the world or landing incredible back to back internships, Andi has done it all. And she’s done it all herself. She’s been able to network to find amazing internships and finance her own study abroad experience.
- The people you surround yourself with truly impact who you become
When I asked Andi about her family and friends she described them with similar words, she had used to describe herself in the beginning of the interview. Whether it’s because we imitate people that surround us or we only connect with people that are already similar to us, the people we surround ourselves with truly make an impact in our lives.
- People are more inspirational than they give themselves credit for
Andi was such a humbling interview to do because she never bragged, and a few of the times I had to remind her of some of the amazing things I knew she had done. People oftentimes are confused as to why I interview them on Females of Filadelphia, but the truth is I don’t think most of us really take a second to think about how incredible our lives truly are. Whether it’s landing internships with nationally known brands or visiting over five countries in five months or having a lasting impact on a large part of a university’s student body, Andi taught me how inspiring we all truly are 🙂
She’s a photographer. She’s a leader. A foodie. An artist. A strong female. A person that anyone would be lucky to know and look up to. Thanks for reading this blog, and I know anyone can take something away from Andi, and what life has taught her so far. Make sure to follow her food adventures in Philly @and_i_ate! And stay tuned for the next #NewStorySunday @femalesoffiladelphia!
Xoxo, V