Ann Burroughs, Japanese American National Museum president and CEO:
A career in civil rights has taught me that knowledge is only part of the equation. Your greatest asset is how you choose to use your knowledge. Knowledge without purpose can scatter; knowledge guided by values — justice, integrity, empathy — becomes power that shapes communities, institutions, and lives.
As you begin your careers, you will encounter pressures to stay comfortable, to take the path that feels safe. Real growth, however, has never come from comfort. It comes from asking difficult questions, speaking up when it matters, and using your skills in service of something larger than yourself. It requires persistence, courage, and the willingness to listen deeply, especially to voices that are marginalized or overlooked.
Careers rarely follow a straight line. Titles and roles will change, but fulfillment comes when your decisions are anchored in purpose, connection, and belonging. For some, purpose will be in service to others; for others, in creating equitable spaces, solving problems, or fostering inclusion. What matters is that your choices reflect your values.
Impact does not require changing the entire world. It begins with contributing meaningfully to the communities and institutions you touch. When knowledge, purpose, and values align, your career becomes a life of enduring significance.
Ed Yen, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors executive officer:
Congratulations on reaching this big milestone! Starting your career is exciting, and I encourage you to think about public service. Working in government gives you a chance to make a real difference in people’s lives while learning skills you’ll use for years to come.
In Los Angeles County, there are all kinds of roles – from health and public safety to policy and administration – where your contributions can touch the lives of millions of people every day.
Representation matters. By bringing your unique perspective and experiences into leadership, you help ensure that decisions reflect people’s needs. Graduates from diverse communities, including the Japanese American community, can play a vital role in shaping programs and policies that are fair, inclusive, and meaningful.
Stay curious and keep learning. Careers rarely follow a straight path, so take on challenges that push you to grow. Mentorship, training, and hands-on experience are all great ways to build both technical know-how and people skills – tools that will serve you no matter where life takes you.
Finally, find ways to give back. Some of the most rewarding work is helping others and making your community stronger. In my role as executive officer for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, I help make sure board meetings run smoothly, support the implementation of county policies, and work to keep government services effective and accessible.
Whatever path you choose, look for opportunities to collaborate, make an impact, and leave a positive mark.
Ken Minami, Delicato Family Wines vice president and deputy general counsel:
Over the course of my 34-year in-house legal career, whenever asked whether I enjoy my work, I have been fortunate to genuinely respond with “I love my job!” Apparently, not a common response – especially among lawyers in a profession with dismal job satisfaction statistics.
I am a grateful beneficiary of “luck and timing” throughout my career that ultimately allowed me to merge my profession with my passion for wine. Was this mere coincidence, or was there some intentionality in crafting career goals that eventually resulted in the convergence of my job and passion?
Well, I am a firm believer of the old adage, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” The challenge of this preparation is to position yourself in your career path to maximize options and to optimize the chances of taking advantage of luck and timing in seizing future opportunities.
It may be difficult at the outset, but try to set longer-term career goals around what drives you or sparks your interests. Keep in mind that passion can take the form of a theme or cause, not necessarily a profession or brand.
Also be aware that your passion can and likely will evolve to potentially redirect your career path – think of this as growth and not failure. Find employers whose mission aligns with your values or seek roles where your passion can influence your work, even if indirectly. Your career path doesn’t have to be linear – an analogy often used is that your career can be a “mosaic.”
Try to keep building your marketability by establishing relationships within your workplace and industry/professional networks while steadily developing your reputation. Seek out and learn from mentors and other professionals you respect – and don’t exclude your peers.
Couple these efforts with a commitment to continuous learning to keep expanding your world view and broadmindedness. Stay curious and keep that drive of lifelong learning alive. Developing competencies such as big-picture strategic thinking can open the door to future possibilities.
Don’t let expectations of your parents or others define success for you, but do identify guiding principles to help you along your career journey. How do you balance time with family and other personal priorities with your job? And how will this work/life balance change over time when starting your career journey compared to different stages of your and your family’s life cycle?
With so many variables that may impact your path, you will need to lean into values such as perseverance, adaptability, resilience, and your work ethic to face these challenges, all the while embracing uncertainty. Don’t be afraid to challenge and stretch yourself when the more convenient choice might be to settle for the comfortable path.
Finally, be mindful that your first job out of college or grad school doesn’t define you — it’s your starting point within your life’s career mosaic.
Naomi Hirahara, award-winning mystery author:
Dear College Graduate:
You’ve achieved an amazing accomplishment! You’ve worked through a global pandemic to obtain your college degree. To have such dedication and perseverance reveals the strength of your character. You can build on this foundation as you investigate what job and career you will want to pursue.
While getting advice from more experienced people can be helpful, I think in the end, you must own your decisions. Your years immediately after college may be a bit turbulent because you will face such a variety of options. You need to do some self-reflection to determine what path to pursue.
This may be the best time to experiment and even move to a faraway place for better options. Take a risk because when you are older you may have more responsibilities that will tie you down.
If you have a poor experience in a certain job, take notes and evaluate what worked and didn’t work. Was it the company or situation or maybe was it you? Journal and reflect so you can learn from both your mistakes and successes. Don’t beat yourself up if you fall short. Get up, ask for help from trusted people, and keep going.
To be perfectly honest, especially in this time with so many technological changes, it’s impossible to predict what is a secure professional path. Be mindful of new developments but hold fast to who you are and what you are passionate about.
As you walk through life, year after year, your place in this world will become more apparent. I wish you all the best as you start this journey.
Sincerely, Naomi Hirahara