Abraham Asrat MSc (M80 - 82) Shares His Thoughts On The Lessons He Learnt At Dover College
Aberham Asrat (M80 – 82), who is living in Canada and working at the University of British Columbia overseeing the management of workplace learning, has had a distinguished career in industry workplaces for the last 20 years.
Recently, Abraham posted a very thought-provoking piece on LinkedIn about how the lessons he learned on the rugby playing fields of Dover College have taught him lifelong lessons that have helped him in his professional life. Many of us who have taken part in or been part of a team in any role can relate to his insights.
He has kindly given the Old Dovorian Club permission to repost his thoughts and observations so that they can be shared with other Old Dovorians, and those new Old Dovorians who are now starting out on their life journey after Dover College.
“Courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.” Nelson Mandela
hashtag learned the hard way.
In high school I earned a spot on the Dover College rugby team.
But this wasn’t just any team. It was a team that refused to lose.
I was smaller than my teammates and nervous before every practice. In the scrum, I’d brace myself, expecting to get snapped in half.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure I belonged.
Belonging came with pressure. It pushed me in ways I didn’t think I could handle.
Match days were intense. I’d feel the jitters from the moment I woke up, if I’d even slept.
But rugby taught me lessons that I didn’t fully understand at the time.
It helped me find my voice. It gave me confidence in my ability to handle pressure and rise to challenges.
It made me realize that I had value, even when I didn’t feel like the strongest or most talented person on the pitch.
It taught me how to trust others and how to show up for them.
On the field or in the workplace, everyone has a role.
You don’t need to be the loudest voice or the biggest personality.
What matters is your effort, your commitment, and your ability to lift others up along the way”.
Abraham Asrat MSc (M80 – 82)
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