Counseling Psychology

Finding Fulfillment by Changing Careers

How two BU Wheelock alums paved their own paths to defining professional success 

At a time when only 25% of Americans report feeling fully engaged and passionate about their careers, many are rethinking their professional paths. For Mike Condon (Wheelock’25), a former NHL player, and Matthew Smith (Wheelock’25), a military veteran and firefighter, the desire for greater fulfillment led them in new directions. To build careers better aligned with their goals, both chose to return to graduate school.

In this Conversation with the Dean, Dean Penny Bishop speaks with Condon and Smith about the challenges and rewards of making a career pivot, and how their graduate studies have helped them move closer to work that better aligns with their values. They are joined by BU Wheelock’s Bobby Hiep Bui. 

Highlights from the Conversation

Putting learning into practice

You can learn so much in the classroom, but it’s the internships that are really the best part of the program. Obviously, all the knowledge and writing the papers help as you grow as a student, but you really grow through the internships, and that’s huge. That really does that for the students.

Matthew Smith

Where community builds confidence 

We would all come into class, and everyone had a story. Everyone was going through something. But despite all of that, there was a sense that we weren’t alone, and sometimes we could even laugh about it together while we were there. That was probably the biggest thing: the humanity and the connection. There was also a lot of trust. People trust you to do the work. . . .Having that trust placed in you gave you a lot of confidence as well.

Mike Condon

Try, try—and try again

The process is not always going to be smooth. There may be times when it feels like doors are being closed to you. But if you truly love something, you keep pushing. You keep moving forward, even when it’s difficult. And eventually, a door will open.

Bobby Hiep Bui

Conversations with the Dean are a series of webinars hosted by Dean Bishop that explore some of the most pressing topics in education. Learn more about Conversations with the Dean.