My first college internship was at Sony Pictures Entertainment in

Hear now the reflective and resolute words of Caroline Ghosn, a leader and visionary who built her life through courage, curiosity, and the quiet fire of persistence: “My first college internship was at Sony Pictures Entertainment in Los Angeles. My second internship was at McKinsey & Company as a consultant — that turned into my first job after graduation.” Though simple in phrasing, these words carry the pulse of destiny and discipline — they speak of doors opened not by fortune alone, but by readiness. Within this memory lies the timeless truth that life’s great transformations often begin in humble beginnings, and that work done with devotion, even in its earliest form, can plant the seeds of lifelong purpose.

The meaning of this quote lies in the sacred rhythm between opportunity and preparation. Caroline Ghosn reminds us that every internship, every effort, every small step taken in the spirit of learning can become a bridge to something greater. Her journey from Sony Pictures — a world of creativity and narrative — to McKinsey & Company — a world of analysis and structure — reveals the breadth of her curiosity. Yet, her success was not born merely from ambition, but from engagement: she treated each task, each moment, as part of a larger story being written. When she says that her second internship “turned into” her first job after graduation, it is not luck she speaks of, but the alchemy of consistent effort and readiness meeting opportunity.

The origin of this reflection lies in the path of a woman who, like many of her generation, sought to carve her own meaning within a shifting world. Caroline Ghosn, founder of Levo League, began as a student searching for direction, taking internships that reflected different parts of her spirit — the storyteller and the strategist, the dreamer and the builder. Her time at McKinsey, one of the most demanding consultancies in the world, tested her resilience and sharpened her intellect. But it was also there that she discovered her calling: to empower others — particularly young women — to rise in the modern workplace. Her words, then, are not a boast of career progression, but a testament to the idea that early diligence and openness to growth can shape the trajectory of a life.

Consider, O reader, the ancient story of Leonardo da Vinci, who as a young apprentice in the workshop of Verrocchio, began by grinding pigments, mixing paints, and preparing canvases. To an unseeing eye, these might have seemed trivial tasks, but Leonardo approached them with reverence — for he understood that mastery begins in service. One day, when his teacher assigned him to paint an angel in a larger piece, Leonardo poured into it all he had learned — and when Verrocchio saw the finished work, so brilliant was his student’s hand that the master is said to have put down his brush forever. So too, in every humble internship, every early opportunity, there lies the seed of greatness, waiting for one who treats even the smallest work as sacred.

In Ghosn’s journey from student to professional, we see the modern reflection of that ancient pattern. The internship — that first step into the world — is the proving ground of humility, where enthusiasm meets endurance. It is not the prestige of the place but the attitude of the worker that transforms experience into destiny. By embracing both creativity and strategy, she learned that one’s career need not follow a single path, but can weave together the many parts of a person’s soul. And in her story, the young may find hope: that life’s purpose does not appear all at once, but unfolds through effort, chance, and courage combined.

The lesson, then, is this: treat every experience as a chapter in your formation. No labor is wasted when done with intention. Do not seek merely to reach the end — the graduation, the first job, the title — but to be present and alive in the process of becoming. The early years of work are not trials to be endured; they are the forge in which strength, clarity, and character are shaped. The world rewards those who show up with excellence before they are recognized, who work not only for opportunity, but for understanding. Caroline Ghosn’s story reminds us that life’s greatest gifts come to those who prepare quietly for the moments when the world takes notice.

So, O listener, remember this truth: the hands that grind the pigments today may paint the masterpiece tomorrow. Approach your work — whatever it may be — as a student approaches the sacred text: with focus, gratitude, and heart. Let your internships, your first jobs, your small beginnings, be your training in patience and excellence. For as Caroline Ghosn teaches through her journey, the future belongs not to those who wait for perfect opportunities, but to those who make every opportunity perfect through their effort and their will. Walk your path as she did — with curiosity as your compass, discipline as your armor, and passion as your flame — and the doors of destiny will open, one by one, until your purpose stands revealed.