As I was flying home from TargetX’s annual Xpert Summit last week, a light went off above me. I wish I could say it was some great idea; however, it was our plane getting hit by lightning. Many of us have been through some pretty strong turbulence, but that was the first time I experienced rolling side-to-side.

My mind flashed to my kids, but I was quickly brought back to the moment when the young man next to me jerked his head to look at me with fear in his eyes, that I’m pretty sure read, “Help me, Mommy!” Now you may think I was shot back to reality by his fear…it was actually the fact that he looked at me like his mother…I mean, yes I am in my 40’s, but come on now.

There was silence as the plane continued to make its descent, but the roar of applause and the “Thank you Jesus!” comments erupted when we came to our final halt. Obviously, since I am here to share this story, I (and my new son), survived the event. But what a fun experience (now that it’s over). We all became an instant community that night. And what a story we now had to tell. I could hear my fellow plane-mates on their phones describing our adventure. It became a notch on our experience belt.

Our experiences are what make us unique, what make us who we are and will shape us into who we are to become.

I had another wonderful experience at the Summit and that was having the opportunity to present a session with my good friend and colleague, Annemarie Nagle. Anne and I met years ago when she was a student at Philadelphia University and began working with me in the Office of Admissions. We decided we wanted to offer a session that went “Beyond the Tools.” We felt having a session where people could take a moment to reflect on where they are and where they are going in their fields could only be beneficial.

So often in our lives, we plug away taking care of this or that crisis, or just going through the everyday motions. How often do we stop and look at where all our experiences have taken us and where we want those experiences to take us next? How often do we take the time to invest in ourselves and those around us?

From time to time, it’s important to revisit the reasons we are all in this profession. We are lucky to work in a field that has purpose. We are fortunate to have the ability to make futures brighter, not only for prospective students, but the current students that attend our college.

Whether you experienced the Summit or not, take a moment to invest in yourself and join us for the Free on Friday webcast today at 3 p.m. And pass on the link to others who can benefit.

Then get out on campus and become a mentor/coach, advise a club, attend a performance, cheer at a game and make some memories. It’s all about the experience.

Join Kathy and TargetX’s Adrienne Hamson for today’s Free on Friday webcast at 3 p.m. ET, “From the Mouths of Xperts” as they discuss the highlights and lessons learned from this year’s Xpert Summit in Las Vegas.

Watch today’s webcast at targetx.com/fof

Read more about our authors.  Kathy Kissane is the Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Philadelphia University.