Your why matters because it is the fuel to your fire and the path to your future. Your why gives you purpose. Your why gives you a reason to start your day and to stay committed to what you’re doing even when it gets hard. It gives you clarity and helps you set and conquer goals. When your work is tied to your why, it doesn’t feel like work at all, it feels like a calling.
Have you ever heard the term ikigae? Ikigai is a Japanese concept referring to something that gives a person a sense of purpose, a reason for living. The Oxford English Dictionary defines ikigai as "a motivating force; something or someone that gives a person a sense of purpose or a reason for living". More generally it may refer to something that brings pleasure or fulfillment.
Ikigai has four important elements that are a great place to start when looking for your why.
What you love ( your passion)
What the world needs ( your mission)
What you are good at ( your vocation)
What you can get paid for ( your profession)
My why is clear, let me explain.
I am the daughter of a single mother and a Vietnam Veteran who was an alcoholic. I was the first person in my family to go to and graduate from college. While my parents had challenges of their own, they always encouraged me to chase my dreams and that education was worth striving for, no matter how hard. Next to my children, earning my bachelor’s degree is one of my greatest accomplishments.
I took the opportunity during covid to finish the degree I had started many years prior. I realize not everyone has the support, time or opportunity to start or finish their education. Allowing everyone equal opportunity to achieve their personal goals of education is why I started Imagine. Imagine is a complete platform that encompasses college, career and life readiness. My goal is to help every student regardless of educational dreams and paths to have greater opportunity for themselves and generations to follow. I have devoted my life’s work to this cause.
When people ask me “why?” I started Imagine Scholarships, my answer is you. It’s always been you. The student longing for a different way of life, the students trying to break economic barriers, the parents trying to offer their children a better life, its you.
I took it a step further and decided to help the educators who are on the front lines of assisting students . Imagine helps universities retain current students and recruit new students. We help high schools by offering a complete platform of college, career and life readiness. We assist college consultants, financial institutions and give businesses a way to give back to the students in their community. Can you imagine a future where all students have equal opportunity for education and career success? A world where funding education isn’t impossible?
At Imagine, we dream BIG. We know that there are no limits to what you can do with the right tools and resources and we can’t wait to help you achieve every goal and dream you have and the ones you haven’t even dared to Imagine yet.
Do you know your why? Still unsure of your why? We have tools to help you find your why and help you identify ways to use your story to grow and identify a career that you are passionate about. We have helpful tools like this distributed all throughout our platform.
If you’re ready, jump into our platform filled with billions of dollars in real, quality scholarships, internships, videos to help you grow in your skills and be successful in any endeavor you choose to explore. Please reach out to us anytime, we love meeting you, learning more about you and celebrating with you. Most importantly, I’d love to know your why.