Written By: Danielle Jeffers, VP of Workforce Innovation

Harvard, a Burger King, and the Real Meaning of Resilience

I swear you read that right.
My interview for an undergraduate spot at Harvard happened off the I-15… at a Burger King.

There I was, sitting under the faint smell of fry oil and ambition, trying to convince a very serious admissions interviewer that I was Harvard material; all while someone in the background yelled, “Two Whoppers, no pickles!”

I told him about my academics, how I was on track to earn my associate’s degree before graduating high school, how passionate I was about learning and leadership, and how I wanted to make an impact as a lawyer down the road, maybe even sit on the Supreme Court one day. Your girl had big dreams (still do).

But he wasn’t interested in my GPA or the early college credits.
He wanted to know about obstacles.

He asked about my parents’ divorce.
He asked how I handled growing up in a low-income household in a low-income community.
He asked about my role as a primary caregiver for my mom, something I had been doing since childhood.

What he really wanted to know was: Was I resilient? Could I persevere?

At the time, I remember thinking, Isn’t this supposed to be about academics? But looking back, he was onto something.

Now, in the work I do with Tomorrow’s Talent, that moment has a whole new meaning. We talk a lot about preparing students for their future careers, but the truth is, we’re also preparing them for life. We’re helping them build confidence, adaptability, and resilience, the kind of strength that doesn’t just show up on a résumé but shows up when life gets messy, unpredictable, or downright hard.

Because the truth is, many of the students we serve already know struggle. They’ve faced setbacks. They’ve carried responsibilities that most adults would find overwhelming. The question is: do they have the tools, support, and opportunities to turn that resilience into success? That’s where we come in.

Tomorrow’s Talent isn’t just about helping students get a job. It’s about helping them discover who they are, what they can overcome, and how to keep going even when the road gets bumpy or when the interview happens at a fast-food joint off the interstate.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering… yes, I did get in.
But I turned Harvard down.
Burger King just wasn’t my style.