Dear Student,

I don’t know you, but I know exactly how you feel. Maybe you feel like you’re killing it in college, only to look at the student next to you who is 20 steps ahead. Or you discover that if you want to snag that dream job of yours, you should have started working at about, age 3, if you want to have enough experience. Maybe you’ve been denied acceptance into the graduate program you’ve spent four years working towards, and now you have no options in front of you. You’ve given it all you’ve got, and then all the older mentors of yours turn and say “Well tough. You millennials don’t work hard enough.” Thanks for the advice.

I don’t know who you are comparing yourself to, what your goals are, or what wise advice you’ve received. But what I do know is this: You are doing phenomenal, your frustration is valid, and your hard work will be recognized. Maybe not in the bright light that you were hoping for, but it will be seen and rewarded by just the right people at just the right time.

One thing my mom taught me was to work hard in silence and never expect to receive a reward. Never do it for the attention, because the right person will see you, and recognition will soon follow. And guess what? She never had to tell me that verbally, because I watched her do it throughout my whole childhood. The recognition came years later, and it’s one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned.

So whether you’re looking for your big break, trying to get through your classes, striving for that internship, know that what you are doing is enough. Because you are enough. Your determination, your character, your hard work, is all enough. It might not feel like it in the moment, and maybe you think the right people aren’t recognizing you. It’s frustrating, I get it. But trust me when I say, the right people will see it, and they will get you where you need to be. All your hard work will not be useless, and it’s going to get you places. As long as you never ever give up, and you have faith in yourself and in God’s plans for you.

Maybe that boss, teacher, dean, didn’t recognize your work for a reason. They weren’t worthy of all that you are capable of, and God had something better for you. It’s hard to grasp that concept in the moment, because we demand for things to be given to us immediately. Give it time, be open to change, new people, and new experiences. God is leading your path, and you are always more than enough for Him. Believe in your heart that even if you think no one else sees you, God does. He sees that hard work, the effort, the struggle, and He will reward you for it. So don’t give up, keep striving and give it your all, because God will see that it will be worth it in the end.