By Joelliane Langevine (’24)

Gabrielle (Gabby) Kennedy graduated from Baylor with her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, Russian, and Middle Eastern Studies. I had the privilege of meeting Gabby during my freshman year at Baylor, her senior year when she was a Peer Instructor in my World Cultures I class in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) program. The BIC was a major part of Gabby’s Baylor experience, as well as her involvement in the International Studies, Russian, and Middle East Studies programs. 

Amidst all of these departments, Gabby noted that she was able to establish and develop strong relationships with her professors which helped to mark her Baylor experience. Instead of picking a favorite course she took, I was intrigued that Gabby mentioned that she had a core group of professors with whom she took multiple courses, especially in her junior and senior years. Because she did this, Gabby mentioned that “it was nice to be able to connect all the dots between their classes.”

Inspired by the high regard with which she spoke of her professors, I asked Gabby if she had any advice on how to build those relationships and she provided two helpful insights:

• Networking is Important– While there can be some benefit (and awkwardness) to reaching out to people you do not yet know on LinkedIn, Gabby brought up the fact that students should utilize the network they already have. This network could include professors, classmates, and colleagues they know. Utilizing the relationships you already have to launch your networking journey is an important first step.
• Stay in Touch – Gabby advises that students continue to keep in touch with their existing network, as mentioned above, now and then to establish stronger relationships. Although she recognized that it can be awkward, she encouraged students to be genuine. You never know how far a simple “How are you?” can take you. 

Additionally, Gabrielle suggested that reaching out to peers or professors to keep in touch is a great way to continue one’s educational journey. Gabby expressed that “it is hard to figure out what to learn after graduation” so she encourages students to “leverage [their] network of professors and peers [and their] curated reading lists”. Reflecting upon her undergraduate career, Gabby mentioned that she took those reading lists for granted and now enjoys asking others what they are currently reading so that she can continue her educational journey. To answer her question, Gabby is trying to read more for fun; one of the books she is reading is called 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster by Mirinae Lee.

Since graduating from Baylor, Gabby has become an analyst and is working remotely with Valens Global and the Irregular Warfare Center, which falls under the Department of Defense. Although this is a remote role, Gabby lives in New York City with her fiancé Garret, and their dog Jack, because of Garret’s job. The hustle and bustle of the Big Apple is a different pace of life for Gabby as she is originally from Mississippi, before moving to Texas for school. When asked how she manages a work-life balance, Gabby mentioned that she is grateful to work for a great company that allows for work-life balance. Additionally, Gabby said to “just do it”— and go see the things you want to see and do the things you want to do. There is more time in the day than we think to get the tasks completed and see the things we want to see if your time is prioritized efficiently.

The transition to NYC was relatively simple for Gabby and her family, however, she mentioned that it did take some “mental adjusting” to remind herself that she doesn’t have to rush to see all of the touristy things in the city because it will still be there next week”. When asked what types of things she likes to do for fun, Gabby mentioned that she and Garret have gotten into running so they often run in the city. Additionally, Gabby enjoys trying new places to eat and hanging out with her dog.

In parting advice, Gabby shared the encouraging reminder that everything will fall into place. Even if the path seems foggy at first, everything will clear up in due time and what is meant to fall into place will.