Trust my wings: hse graduate talk about future prospects
Олалекан Олатунбосун Онаопемипо, Выпускник 2025 года
With the sound of convocation bells and the closing of another page at the Higher School of Economics (HSE), Nizhny Novgorod, a graduate, Olatunbosun Onaopemipo Olalekan, has a perspective that transcends ceremonial applause and traditional fanfare. In a reflective contemplation, "I Trust My Wings," he writes not only as a degree recipient, but as one shaped by purpose, persistence, and training to take flight into the unknown.
"A bird does not perch on a tree because it trusts that the branch will not break, but because it trusts in its own wings to fly if it does." This metaphor-rich proverb is the philosophical spine of Olatunbosun's meditation. To him, graduation is not an exit but an ascension, a contemplative jump into the next stage of life, not due to the fact that the way forward is visibly open, but because he has faith in the wings he has acquired through rigorous studying, life's experiences, and inner strength.
"I'm not going to the job market because I have got everything figured out," he asserts.
"I'm not stepping forward because the next step is shining with certainty or painted in perfection. I am stepping forward because I believe in what I have constructed - my wings." These wings, as he explains, are not some intangible hope. They are real and hard-won, made up of the hands-on experience, strategic principles, and real-world understanding he has accumulated over the last two years while pursuing his Master of Science in Business Development.
His time at HSE University, Nizhny Novgorod, was something greater than a class experience. It was a complete incubation of possibility, where case studies sat alongside real-world projects, theory in practice, and international perspectives collided in the halls of scholarly rigor. "Every lecture, every group assignment, every discussion with teachers and classmates contributed to an ability I now exercise with confidence," he explains.
Actually, the labour market of today is volatile, fueled by technological revolutions, shifting business models, and evolving global demands. Yet rather than being intimidated by uncertainty, Olatunbosun sees in it a space of possibility. "If the branch breaks, if things don't work out as anticipated, I won't fall. I have learned to adjust, to innovate, and to fly. That's what this experience has taught me."
On the foundation of rigorous coursework, internships, cross-cultural teamwork, and self-reflection, he is not only a graduate but a strategist ready to face ambiguity. His optimism is rooted not in idealism but in purposeful readiness. "I believe in my wings because I have tested them out. I have seen pressure. I have adapted. I have delivered. And I have learned."
For most graduates, the prospect of what's next is a cause of anxiety. Not so for Olatunbosun; it's a springboard to action, a runway, not a cliff. And his advice to fellow graduates, future professionals, and anyone else poised on the precipice of change is this: "Don't wait until everything is perfect. Trust what you've built. Trust your wings. And fly." As he envisions his future in management consulting and business development as a PhD student or corporate icon, be it in Russia, Europe, America, or at the global level, his outlook is one of self-assurance, not complacency. "The future isn't definite. But my readiness is. And that's enough for me to fly."
With the sound of convocation bells and the closing of another page at the Higher School of Economics (HSE), Nizhny Novgorod, a graduate, Olatunbosun Onaopemipo Olalekan, has a perspective that transcends ceremonial applause and traditional fanfare. In a reflective contemplation, "I Trust My Wings," he writes not only as a degree recipient, but as one shaped by purpose, persistence, and training to take flight into the unknown.
"A bird does not perch on a tree because it trusts that the branch will not break, but because it trusts in its own wings to fly if it does." This metaphor-rich proverb is the philosophical spine of Olatunbosun's meditation. To him, graduation is not an exit but an ascension, a contemplative jump into the next stage of life, not due to the fact that the way forward is visibly open, but because he has faith in the wings he has acquired through rigorous studying, life's experiences, and inner strength.
"I'm not going to the job market because I have got everything figured out," he asserts.
"I'm not stepping forward because the next step is shining with certainty or painted in perfection. I am stepping forward because I believe in what I have constructed - my wings." These wings, as he explains, are not some intangible hope. They are real and hard-won, made up of the hands-on experience, strategic principles, and real-world understanding he has accumulated over the last two years while pursuing his Master of Science in Business Development.
His time at HSE University, Nizhny Novgorod, was something greater than a class experience. It was a complete incubation of possibility, where case studies sat alongside real-world projects, theory in practice, and international perspectives collided in the halls of scholarly rigor. "Every lecture, every group assignment, every discussion with teachers and classmates contributed to an ability I now exercise with confidence," he explains.
Actually, the labour market of today is volatile, fueled by technological revolutions, shifting business models, and evolving global demands. Yet rather than being intimidated by uncertainty, Olatunbosun sees in it a space of possibility. "If the branch breaks, if things don't work out as anticipated, I won't fall. I have learned to adjust, to innovate, and to fly. That's what this experience has taught me."
On the foundation of rigorous coursework, internships, cross-cultural teamwork, and self-reflection, he is not only a graduate but a strategist ready to face ambiguity. His optimism is rooted not in idealism but in purposeful readiness. "I believe in my wings because I have tested them out. I have seen pressure. I have adapted. I have delivered. And I have learned."
For most graduates, the prospect of what's next is a cause of anxiety. Not so for Olatunbosun; it's a springboard to action, a runway, not a cliff. And his advice to fellow graduates, future professionals, and anyone else poised on the precipice of change is this: "Don't wait until everything is perfect. Trust what you've built. Trust your wings. And fly." As he envisions his future in management consulting and business development as a PhD student or corporate icon, be it in Russia, Europe, America, or at the global level, his outlook is one of self-assurance, not complacency. "The future isn't definite. But my readiness is. And that's enough for me to fly."