Hello and thank you for being part of the UNderdogstuff® collective.
September 1993, that Philly kid (see pic) showed up on campus as a 17-year-old freshman. Today, yes today, twenty-seven years later I have good news for that 17-year-old.
I wish you knew back then that you were always smart enough and special enough to be here. I know, I know, you never quite believed that was true back then. It’s alright, sometimes our paths are meant to unfold a little bit differently than we planned.
WE DID IT! Yeah, I’m talking to you G-Money. WE DID IT!! The virtual graduation is May 17th and the diploma will come in the mail this summer, however, today is the day to acknowledge and celebrate.
Classes ended today and all final projects have been submitted. Today, yes today, the kid that showed up here at 17 and then eventually left not quite feeling complete is now a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
The tears are pouring down my face as I typed this post and that’s okay. I’m allowing myself to feel all the emotions and all the joy.
It turns out this part of the journey was never really about school. Well, not directly. It turns out it was an opportunity for us to find our way back home and rediscover our special stuff. And we did it. G-Money, WE DID IT!
First, I’m gonna make time to rejoice, reflect, and recharge. Then ERRRRR-BODY is invited to the virtual graduation ceremony on May 17th at 1 p.m. EST. We all get VIP seating in front of our laptop or mobile device.
After recharging and graduation, I get to go all-in on creating the UNderdogstuff community investing group and produce new UNderdogstuff digital content. Also, and I can’t believe I’m about to type this, I’m going to kick off writing my first book, “Unpacking The Journey Of An Underdog - A story of finding our way back home.” Title and premise still a work in progress. Did I just type that!? Yeah, I just typed that. I’m going to write and publish a book. your ideas for a premise or topic. I’m still in the stage of deciding what the book is about.
Let’s keep going on this journey together!
Written by Gregory Nesmith, CPC, ELI-MP, Founder of UNderdogstuff, Philly native, Community Relations Director & Entrepreneurship Mentor at Bridges To Wealth, member of the Penn Venture Lab Incubator, and recent Wharton School alum.