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Student Finds Her Way By Trusting Her Heart
Rio Salado College student Meredith Jaxon found herself at a crossroads. Her ambitions forked in two directions: the science of mind in one direction, the craft of commerce in the other. Faced with a life-changing decision and not sure how to move forward, she did what so many in her position do to find an answer: she hit the road.
Jaxon joined fellow Rio Salado students Brittany Gray and Mariah Schneider on a two-week road trip to interview successful Rio alumni and former students to get their perspectives on how to achieve their career goals. The trip was a result of Rio Salado College’s partnership with Roadtrip Nation, a non-profit organization that empowers learners by providing career experiences that lead to equitable education and rewarding employment pathways (Learn more about the partnership here).
Meredith Jaxon is no stranger to hitting the road. Born in Alaska to a family with roots in Tennessee, she grew up in Kansas before eventually calling the Valley of the Sun home. Taking this journey with Roadtrip Nation appealed to both Jaxon’s desire to choose the right career path and to her taste for adventure.
“I wanted to meet with the leaders to sanity check my educational goals,” Jaxon said. “I also like to travel and I wanted to see what #vanlife was like.”
She chose Rio Salado for the flexibility of online classes and for course credits that are 100 percent transferable to the future school of her choice: Arizona State University. Jaxon has a variety of interests: neuroscience, writing, and entrepreneurship. One of the most helpful lessons she learned on the trip, she said, is coming to understand that "not all interests have to be a career."
“Prior to the trip, I was trying to decide between neuroscience and entrepreneurship,” Jaxon said. “During the trip, I realized that, while neuroscience remains interesting to me, I can’t really see myself working in a lab. … but I can take neurodiversity into consideration when setting up my business(es)."
Looking back on the trip, Jaxon says she enjoyed all the “silly and deep conversations” she had with her tour companions and for the opportunity to travel. Above all, Jaxon appreciated the perspective of the alumni and students they met on their journey.
“My favorite thing was meeting with the leaders to get perspective,” she said.
"We had a lot of silly and deep conversations that helped pass the time," she said. "When we did stop, it was great to see other parts of the country I'd never been to before."
Two pieces of advice that resonated with her came from eXp Realty's Jae Dillard, who told the Roadtrip Nation travelers, "No scars, no story," and from FIGHT ROPE founder Orlando Jimenez: "Can't reach for the future without letting go of the past."
The trip taught Jaxon to trust her instincts.
“The trip solidified my decision to change career paths,” Jaxon said. “I knew in my heart but the trip helped that knowledge get to my head.”
As to whether or not #vanlife was her speed, Jaxon ruefully admitted she's not cut out for it. "It's a bit like being in a mild earthquake for hours at a go."
Jaxon hopes to graduate and transfer to ASU by January 2024. She plans to study Technological Entrepreneurship & Management with a long-term goal of getting a Master’s in Human Systems Engineering.
Her Roadtrip Nation experience even helped her with one of her lifelong goals.
"I'm trying to see all the U.S. National Parks before I retire," she said. "And, as a result of this trip, I was able to tick another one off my list!"