#CareerTalk with Rishan Campbell, Member Advisor at Aetna, a CVS Health Company

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In Braven’s #CareerTalk blog series, we cover people’s inspiring stories, explore their career paths, and share the advice they have for Braven Fellows.

Our next guest on #CareerTalk is Rishan Campbell, Member Advisor at Aetna, a CVS Health Company (and 2020 Braven Fellow). Born in Jamaica, Rishan migrated to the U.S. with her mom almost 10 years ago. Struggling with health issues as a child, she spent a lot of her time in hospitals, looking up to her healthcare professionals as superheroes. Her health affected her in college – to the point of almost failing school – but she refused to let that stop her from graduating. This is her story. 

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Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a traditional West Indian, born in Jamaica before migrating to the United States with my mom almost a decade ago. I play sports for fun, love to swim, and am always looking for a chance to test drive new cars or trucks. I currently live in The Bronx, New York and work at Aetna, a CVS Health Company that is bridging the gaps in healthcare, one campaign at a time.

 

Take us through your career path. What led you to your current role?

I was an asthmatic child growing up, so the hospital and doctor’s office were two of my most-visited playgrounds. I saw healthcare professionals as my superheroes and wanted to be a doctor when I grew up but didn’t have the passion to dive into studying medicine. Instead, I saw myself doing something else, but still wanted to be part of the team that helps people toward better health.

 

Tell us about a failure you’ve had in your career. What did you learn from it, and how did you bounce back?

It doesn’t feel like I’ve started my career yet. However, I experienced a setback when I was failing school due to a medical condition. I was trying so hard to hold onto my classes while still working full time. After being academically dismissed, I didn’t know what to do. But one thing was for sure: I wasn’t giving up.

I made an ambitious comeback by transferring to Lehman College – and graduating on time!

 

Which people have had the most influence on your growth and why? What is some valuable advice they gave you?

My family has indirectly pushed me out of my comfort zone. My cousins have shared their school experiences with me, and my aunts have reminded me I’m getting the opportunity of a lifetime, one that they’ve dreamed of and only seen on TV.

I also really wanted one of my grandparents to see me graduate, though my last grandparent passed away just 9 months before. I took that pain and turned it into resilience in my schoolwork to prove I could do it.

 

What advice do you have for current Braven Fellows nearing the end of their undergraduate programs?

To anyone considering taking the Braven Accelerator Course, ask yourself these three questions:

  • “Can I go out into the world on my own?”
  • “Do I have what it takes to sit in a room filled with other people and tell my story properly?”
  • “Is my network wide and strong enough to set me up for what I really want in life?”

I asked myself these questions before I walked over to the Braven booth at Lehman’s Career Fair Day.

Getting a college degree is one thing, but having the right people to guide you and the right support system to push you is very important for your success beyond school. Braven provides you with a strong support system and network to set you up for success, so make the most of your time in the Accelerator Course.

My final words of wisdom for students taking Braven are to utilize your resources ­– a paper degree doesn’t say who you are inside!

 

 

 

Learn more about Rishan Campbell

 

 

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Like this feature on Braven’s blog? Check out our other #CareerTalk stories below: