How can Aspire significantly change your perspective?

“If this is possible, what else is possible?” Sorana Pascariu When leadership potential meets inspiring mentors, well, we know we’ve got the perfect match! It is no wonder that the Aspirers achieve such greatness when their perspective is nurtured during the summer programs in such meaningful ways as those expressed by our dearest Sorana Pascariu.   You might think “How can my perspective on life be changed in such a short time?”. We do understand you- after all, we have all been there. But Aspire is honestly not the one doing this job- it is you all along! Nonetheless, Aspire is a …

Read more

Think better not harder

I need to give it some more thought. I need to think harder.  Where do I even start ? Do you ever tell yourself these things ? Are you oftentimes confronted with a task seemingly so complicated that you do not know where to begin – and can not see the end of it ?  Did it ever hit you that you might be looking at the problem the wrong way or approaching it the wrong way? What if your thought process is fundamentally erroneous, or at the least renders the task at hand harder than it actually is. Ideate …

Read more

The formula for a good life

The beauty of being alive is having a multitude of choices to make. This variety explains why every one of us has a different lifestyle. What are our commonalities, though? What should we pay attention to in order to create a good life for ourselves? At the last Aspire High School 2021 session, Dan Oros, Head of the Marketing Department at Google Romania and Aspire Academy alumnus from the 2011 generation presented us the five most important elements that make for a good life and how they affect us throughout our lives: health, relationships, career, community impact and last but …

Read more

Words And So Much More 

“The pen is mightier than the sword” and the voice trumps both.  Our voice is one of the most important attributes we possess. Whilst some may be born with the gift of eloquence, for the large majority, effective and convincing communication is a skill to be learnt and mastered.  One of our Aspire professors, Dr. Sam Potolicchio, who was named one of “America’s Best Professors” by the Princeton Review, is an expert in political communications. Politics being the realm of rhetoric par excellence, who better than Dr. Potolicchio to teach at Aspire about the real power of speech. During my …

Read more

Aspire Christmas Reunion- 2021 edition

Now that “the most wonderful time of the year” went by, what about a close retrospective look upon Aspire Community’s most recent Christmas spent together? As you all have been used to, the longed-for Aspire Christmas Ball is our deeply-rooted winter tradition. What a time to be alive surrounded by your favorite people, showing your best dancing moves, eating candy bread and drinking sparkling champagne, all these while laughing your heart out! (We know you did… Our photos show us your gorgeous smile). Quick recap, you all? Our annual Christmas event is a glamorous party where our dear alumni and …

Read more

How to challenge yourself in 2022

What to leave behind in 2021 and what to bring to 2022 2021 is finally coming to an end which is a relief for many. This overwhelming year of lockdowns and quarantining challenged us all. Professionally, many spent time working and studying from home. Personally, our lives have been durably impacted with some of our pre-pandemic habits lost and new ones made. Our daily routine has a direct impact on our stress levels, productivity and our overall happiness and health. This post will give you four compelling ideas concerning what to leave behind in 2021 and what to bring to …

Read more

Aspire Global Weekend- Q&As on leadership

Aspire’s strength is Aspire’s vibrant and diverse tight-knit community! Community and a sense of belonging to a community are always important – be it within a company or nationally. The Aspire journey does not end in Poiana Brasov. It flourishes and lives on outside of the Summer programs. Our Aspire Global Weekends are a testament to this strong desire to reinforce our connections and community. Old ties are strengthened and new ones made! This year’s Global Weekend that took place in Brussels was much needed after a long time of disruption in our personal and private lives! Amidst uncertainty, Aspire …

Read more

Hard skills versus soft skills

We hire for hard skills. We fire for soft skills. Rick Stephens, Senior Vice President of HR, The Boeing Corporation Hard skills refer to what a person is capable to do practically according to one’s training in specific fields while soft skills describe one’s ability to communicate with other people, to persuade, to handle tasks and emotions or simply put- to have traits outside one’s area of study and work. But are they both as important? Which of them helps the most? Can you make it in life without one or the other? As I have imagined that an array …

Read more

HOW TO DEAL WITH FAILURE

Perhaps just reading the word ‘failure’ made you flinch. Any vivid, haunting memories come to mind? We identify failure with a lack of success and tend to take it very personally but most importantly, negatively. Yet such a view is not warranted.  Failure deserves to be redefined.  Failure deserves to not seem so demoralising.  Failure deserves to be valued.  When Thomas Edison was asked about how he felt to have repeatedly failed in designing a working light bulb, he replied freely “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10, 000 ways that won’t work.” One should strive to always have …

Read more

5 memorable Aspire quotes- summer ’21

“Who is your role model?” No matter how common yet insightful interview question this is, all the Aspire alumni would find it difficult to look for the right answer to it. Why? Because every speaker at the summer program was a veritable addition to our people-to-look-up-to list. Our role models are those humans that inspire and guide us through every stage of our lives. Of course, they represent the best source for quotes since one of the most powerful ways in which they influence us is through their words. Although it would be next to impossible to remember each brilliant …

Read more