It鈥檚 Okay Not to Have It All Figured Out
A conversation with Professor Mary Zampini on finding your path (and your place) at Le Moyne
There鈥檚 a moment many students don鈥檛 talk about out loud:
What if I don鈥檛 know what I want to do yet?
But this moment might be one of the most important parts of the process.聽
For Dr. Mary Zampini, Professor of World Languages, Literatures & Cultures, that moment didn鈥檛 mean she was lost, it meant she was just getting started. She sat down with the Le Moyne Way podcast to share her story (and what it means for our Phamily)
鈥淚 thought I had it all planned鈥︹��
When Mary was younger, she imagined a future in medicine. It made sense. It felt like a plan.
But then something shifted.
I started studying languages in high school鈥� and I loved it. I remember telling my dad, 鈥業 don鈥檛 think I want to go into medicine anymore.鈥� And he just said, 鈥業f that鈥檚 what you want, go for it.鈥�
There was just one problem.
She had no idea what that path would actually look like.
And definitely not teaching.
鈥淚 said, 鈥業鈥檒l do anything but teach.鈥� I was shy. I didn鈥檛 think I could do it.鈥�
The thing you avoid might be the thing you love
Then came her first teaching experience as a graduate student. And everything changed.
鈥淔rom the first day I stepped into the classroom鈥� I fell in love with it.鈥�
That鈥檚 the part students often miss: you don鈥檛 always choose your path right away. Sometimes you discover it by trying things you didn鈥檛 expect.
Mary puts it simply:
Just be willing to be surprised.
College isn鈥檛 about having the answer
There鈥檚 pressure鈥攔eal pressure鈥攖o arrive at college with a plan.
A major.
A career.
A five-step roadmap.
But Mary challenges that completely.
You might find something in a class you never expected鈥� something that sparks your interest and takes you somewhere really wonderful.
Not every class will change your life.
But one might.
And you won鈥檛 know which one unless you stay open.
She tells the story of a student who heard a single idea in a class, something small, almost random, and it led to a decades-long journey that turned into an award-winning book.
What happens when you stay open?
For Mary, that openness led her across the world.
Studying abroad in Spain changed everything鈥攏ot just academically, but personally.
鈥淚 had to become okay with being uncomfortable鈥� not knowing how to say the right thing.鈥�
That discomfort? It became growth.
It helped her:
- come out of her shell
- connect with new people
- rethink what was possible
And in one unforgettable moment鈥攕itting on a train with strangers from across Europe鈥攕he realized something bigger:
We spent hours talking鈥� in a language that wasn鈥檛 native for any of us. That was the moment I realized why I went abroad鈥攖o connect.
So鈥� what actually matters?
Not having everything figured out isn鈥檛 the problem.
Being closed off is.聽
A lot of students hesitate to try new things because they鈥檙e afraid of getting it wrong. Mary sees this all the time, especially with language learning. Students don鈥檛 want to speak unless they know they鈥檙e 100% correct.
Mary reminds her students:
鈥淪ometimes we go in with this fixed idea of what life has to be鈥� and it limits us.鈥�
The students who grow the most?
They:
- try the class they didn鈥檛 plan to take
- talk to people outside their circle
- allow themselves to change
Here鈥檚 the secret she shared: if you don鈥檛 know what you want to do yet, you鈥檙e not alone, and you鈥檙e not behind. You don鈥檛 need a perfect plan. You just need to keep moving.聽
Finding a place that feels like home
When people talk about choosing a college, they usually focus on majors, rankings, or career outcomes.
But there鈥檚 something just as important鈥攁nd harder to define:
Does it feel like home?
The first time Mary stepped onto Le Moyne鈥檚 campus was for a job interview.
She had grown up nearby, but had never really experienced the campus before.
Still, something stood out immediately.
I felt like I had come home鈥� people were kind, welcoming, and genuinely interested in you. I felt comfortable. Like I鈥檇 come home.
That feeling matters more than any major.
Because college isn鈥檛 just about what you study.
It鈥檚 about where you feel supported enough to figure it out.
It鈥檚 the Little Moments That Matter
Feeling at home isn鈥檛 always about big things.
Sometimes it鈥檚:
- Someone holding the door for you
- A simple hello while walking across campus
- A conversation that feels real
Those small interactions are what turn a campus into a community. You鈥檒l find that on The Heights.
When People Know Your Name
At one of her first faculty events, Mary met the provost, someone in a senior leadership role.
Not only did he take the time to talk with her, but afterward, he continued to greet her by name.
That might seem small. But it made a big impact.
Because feeling at home starts with feeling seen.
More Than Just a Campus
At the end of the day, college is more than where you take classes.
It鈥檚 where you build relationships.
Where you grow into yourself.
Where you find your place.
And when you find the right place鈥�
it doesn鈥檛 just feel like a school.
It feels like home.
Final Thought
If you鈥檙e unsure about your path right now:
You鈥檙e not behind.
You鈥檙e not doing it wrong.
You鈥檙e exactly where you鈥檙e supposed to be.
Mary鈥檚 advice?
You don鈥檛 need to be perfect. You just need to be open鈥� because that鈥檚 where growth happens.
Take a Deeper Dive
Still Exploring Your Options?
You don’t have to have your future figured out before you arrive on The Heights. Explore programs, study abroad opportunities and the people who will help you discover new interests, build confidence and find your place.
