Graduation: Just Do It
Simply, working at Nike, at the BOS, gave me so many tools and experiences in the field of counseling. Many times I would sit there with a client and recall a moment or conversation that I was able to use in a session. But I had no idea any of those EQ, Hash, H bin, break room, or parking lot athlete counseling sessions would ever had come in handy. Getting off work at 6am, after a full shift, driving down to Brooks, OR (a little before Salem) by 7am, sleeping in the campus parking lot until 9am, and wobbling into class late despite being the first there…. yeah I don’t miss those days at all.
However, It was at Nike where I began to build community. The gym I worked at prior, B-fit, was a great start to meeting many, but it was at Nike where I met friends that I still connect and have conversations with til this day, despite leaving there nearly a year ago. Nike/BOS was a great balance from mental and emotional exhaustion at school, flipped to robotic mindless physical work at night. It was honestly the perfect combination for me. Though my partner is much happier I’m back on a schedule where black out curtains aren’t needed during the day, and I’m not rolling into bed when she gets ready for work.
Still, without the time at Nike, I truly believe I would not be where I am mentally today. I learned so many things about the culture of Oregon, all the great food spots, love and relationships, public speaking with the Dating Digital podcast, opportunities to practice my photography and film work, and of course how to ride a dolly one footed, 360 ollie, while balancing 10 boxes… and trust me when I say those backstocking tasks, have helped me pack so many uHauls for friends these last three years. I know it was just an entry level, everyone is replaceable job, but it left enough impact for me to be grateful.
Strip the 50% discount, the minimum wage, the clutch $4000~/year scholarship (Thank you Evan for helping me on this), and the fire overnight aux; What made it all worth it were the conversations. Conversations about family, spouses/partners, depression, suicide, career and aspirations, sports, politics, love and life…. those all played a huge part in my understanding of people. There are no moments in my life that ever came close to stocking hundreds of tech fleeces or air forces while having some deep meaningful conversations at 3am while being passively aggressively micromanaged. Those moments were oddly some of my purest and happiest moments here in Oregon.
Close seconds are playing basketball at 2am or the long Penske drives at night to fill up gas for the trucks at the start of the shift. I still can’t believe I was approved to drive the trucks.
I’m grateful. Grateful for the opportunity at the swoosh, I know as time went on, I was just happy to get out of there. I’d say 60-70% of my Instagram peeps are folks I’ve met through Nike. I know many have left since I’ve left last August, but to those who are still there: If you have aspirations that are bigger than a manager role or getting to campus, I highly encourage you to explore it if possible.
One of the things that really made me reflect on my career was seeing how many people had dreams and hopes, only to limit themselves within the walls of the BOS/NCS. For some of you, I understand it’s timing and opportunity, so I’m not speaking to those that fit that category… it’s to those that are stagnant figuring out the next step but have become (too) comfortable or afraid to go towards your goals. If you fit in that category, I think of you often. But I’m grateful to have met you. Keep going.
