I can’t even believe I get to work here. I have worked at Vivisum for less than two weeks, but it is already starting to feel like home. The whole team has been incredibly kind and supportive as I adjust to my new position.
I hail from the blustery tundra of Rochester, NY, where I studied Psychology at the Rochester Institute of Technology. During my undergraduate career, I immersed myself in research by working for two different psychology labs. I moved to North Carolina in 2017 to begin work as a behavioral researcher at Duke University’s Center for Advanced Hindsight, where I worked for 2 years prior to joining Vivisum.
When I decided to re-enter the job market, I knew that I wanted a workplace that would:
- Allow me to contribute to meaningful work
- Be dynamic
- Allow me to grow both personally and professionally.
I can honestly say that I believe I have found that and more in Vivisum.
Meaningful work. Vivisum truly operates based on a set of values, and one of those values is: Be brilliant. This means not only being great at what you do, but also striving to make a positive impact with your work. In the past, I studied charitable giving and healthcare savings among low-income individuals in Africa. My goal wasn’t to dazzle the world of academia with clever research designs – I wanted to help others live happier, fuller, healthier lives. I know that I can continue to make a positive impact on others’ lives through Vivisum. This company infuses philanthropy and volunteerism into its work wherever possible because giving back is the right thing to do, not because they think it will make them look good.
Dynamic. To me, being dynamic means having the ability to work hard without losing one’s sense of humor. In my experience, when a challenge is foolish enough to face me, finding something to laugh about makes that challenge seem less intimidating, and the possible solutions, more feasible. I can’t think of another group of people that lives up to this more than the Vivisum team. It astounds me how much this relatively small team can get done while also managing to have fun doing it.
Personal and professional growth. I believe that the best way to learn and grow is to step outside of your comfort zone, and this is directly aligned with another of Vivisum’s core values: Be fearless. I used to be so pathologically shy that I sometimes felt that I physically could not speak when someone tried to make small talk with me. Two years ago, though, I moved to a state I had never been to, where I knew no one, and now I even enjoy performing stand-up comedy. While I haven’t worked at Vivisum for very long, I cannot wait to face the challenges and new experiences that I know are waiting for me in the coming months.
