The Ambition Issue

Dear OM readers,

If you read this magazine long enough - or indeed, talk to almost any woman long enough - you will begin to get a sense of how different traits are perceived, depending on which gender you identify as. Ambition is no exception. What invites admiration and support in men, all too often invites condescension and discouragement in women. How many of us have proudly detailed our admittedly lofty life goals, from being appointed a Supreme Court Justice to the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company, only for a man to talk down to us, explaining just how unrealistic these goals are? I'm no stranger to this experience - my career plan, summed up, is to continue as editor-in-chief of Overachiever Magazine, and pursue a career in diplomacy and foreign policy at the US Department of State. Being Secretary of State is in there, too. I still haven't ruled out running for president (Sincerely hoping OM will endorse me!). There is an excellent chance I will never be Secretary of State. I may not even work at the Department of State, as a professor at a college I visited recently was all too eager to tell me. But then, I do have a much, much higher chance of becoming a foreign service officer than I do winning the lottery - I am using this analogy, because the professor in question had a lottery ticket on his desk. The irony was not lost on me. For that one professor, and for every man who has talked down to me, slowly and loudly explaining that sometimes we don't get the things we want, however, there have been people who have encouraged and helped me - like the professor at a different college, an ex-employee of the State Department herself, who gave me a 10-step-plan to work there, from my freshman year of college to the time I turn thirty. We need more people like that - who will share their experiences reaching their goals and help you reach yours. The importance of mentorship can never be understated, nor the importance of proper representation. Ambition is something to be nurtured - for the big goals and the small ones. I consider myself very fortunate to have the OM staff, to support and be supported by. In the off chance you don't have a whole staff in your corner, but still want some encouragement, you're going to enjoy this issue full of fearless, ambitious women's stories. Thank you to everyone who wrote for this issue, and always the staff at OM.

Yours,

Rehana Paul

Founder, Editor-in-Chief