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ed States, but he also helped to shape Ray’s values and jump-started his diverse career path. how Through his experience with Freeman, Ray began to develop his own views and defiany successful college graduates today nitions of success that defied the typical “jourtend to view their studies at univerney to success” of the time. He encourages sity as simply a stepping stone for a others to view “success” with an open mind: “I successful career, which often overlooks the think there’s no set formula for the so-called significance of those who had contributed to success. The key is how you find your own vertheir blossoming careers every step of the way. sion of success and how you find your happiHowever, even after Ray Leihe graduated from ness”. An increasingly selective and unreasonHaverford College almost 30 years ago, he still able college admissions system for high school sends festive Christmas cards annually to the students today narrows and refines modern family of Michael Freeman, a former librarday definitions of success, in which many see ian at Haverford College. His annual tribute only the top elite universities as viable stepping expresses his enduring gratitude for the way stones. However, data proves that your college, Freeman overlooked Ray’s disadvantaged back- even a top university, does not guarantee or ground to hire him at the Haverford library, predict success in the future. a job that launched his advanced academic Ray Leihe first arrived in the US in studies and ushered Ray to pursue his own search of a better education. He had arrived individual passions in economics. Even after in November of 1989 during a grave period of Freeman’s untimely death over 20 years ago, he history in which the country had entered both remains in touch with his wife in order to hon- a recession and its first war with Iraq. He had or his former employer and mentor. Not only previously attended a boarding school in Chidid Freeman’s benevolence allow Ray to obtain na and left his home at just 18 with only a couemployment at JP Morgan on Wall Street just ple hundred of dollars weighing in his pockets. five years after he first immigrated to the Unit- Struggling to financially provide for himself
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during his first years as a college student, he was forced to take on a number of jobs, including waiting tables, washing cars, selling balloons at graduation, and assisting in school computer labs. Ray reflects, “I had to take on both [a] full time college work load and also work … between 20 to 30 hours per week. …
However, Ray’s successful career and elite JP Morgan job didn’t come from nowhere. After getting hired as a library assistant and technician at the Haverford library, his connections allowed him to finish his undergraduate years as a student at the prestigious college. As a staff member, he was initially permitted to take a few part-time classes as a staff benefit. “... I got all A’s in those classes, [so] then I went back to the provost and said, ‘Hey, can I actually apply to be a full time student’”? After going through a lengthy transfer application
One of Ray’s first apartments in America, 1990
my life was pretty much either in the classroom, or study, or [at] first work, ... just to make Ray’s job after graduate school, the 2002 ends meet”. Ray at his Silicon Valley home today, 2022 Although Ray was forOne of Ray’s first apartments in America, 1990 tunate enough to eventually obtain a larger job at the HaverRay’s job at the Haverford library, 1994 ford library which led him to larger career opportunities, his early struggles process from his local community college Ray’s first job after graduate school, 2002 continue to remain true as an abundance of and gaining full support from Michael immigrants today struggle to find longtime, Freeman, his boss at the library, he was Ray at his Silicon Valley home today, 2022 reliable jobs in their early years in the US in admitted as a full time student. Even with an attempt to strive for the “American Dream”. his new student status, he remained an Many of these cases today can be attributed employee at the library and kept his staff to the grave issue of foreign credentials not member privileges at Haverford. “I was being rightly validated in US work industries. told I’m the first person in the history [of Having been able to expand his experience and Haverford] that simultaneously holds a rise from the challenges of immigration, Ray’s student I.D. and a staff I.D., so that was current job as the leader of a platform team at quite unusual”, he chuckles, reminiscing Cloudflare hopes to inspire and integrate more on the unique experience. immigrants into the workplace, especially in Through his education at the liberal arts the heart of Silicon Valley, a culturally diverse college, Ray was able to explore a variety of place at the center of technology. classes, including history, law, and even jazz Ray’s job at the Haverford library, 1994
music. “I always thought I would be studying experience he gained from his time at Wall engineering or computers, [because] that’s sort Street, his employment came to an end after he of what my parents thought I would do, [what] realized the depressing and mundane nature my relatives [thought] I would do, because of the environment surrounding him. Through they studied computer science”. However, after his job at Wall Street, Ray was able to witness developing a keen infirsthand the toxic terest in economics at environment and “Big “I realize that, when you Haverford, he began to Brother” culture, as pave a new direction for pick a job, a company, and also he calls it, that permehis career that heavily ated the offices of JP a career, more important, you contrasted his previous Morgan. Tedious and need to first prioritize what interests. “I wound up repetitive tasks were makes you happy versus what majoring in economics accompanied by conbecause it has the right trolling and demandmakes [the] most money”. balance of [the] quaning bosses that bore titative aspect and the little respect for those liberal arts aspect”. As a result of his newfound that were employed. On one particular day, interests, he began interviewing with a number a colleague of Ray received harsh treatment of financial services companies after graduafrom their boss for a harmless, minor mistake. tion who were recruiting economics majors. Not being able to simply stand witness, Ray Miraculously, he got an offer from JP Morgan stood up for his teammate and courageously confronted his superior. He knew this was a risky move that could result in the termination of his employment. However, that week, he had already been planning to resign in order to transition to a new job offer that had recently arisen. After the events of the day, he went up to his boss during his lunch break to apologize, who sat sulking at a table by himself. “I typed out One of Ray’s first apartments in America, 1990 [my] resignation letter, put [it] in a sealed envelope, and then Ray’s job at the Haverford library, 1994 walked to my boss and said, ‘Oh, sorry, I was kind of acting too Ray’s first job after graduate school, 2002 emotional. Promise this won’t and began working his first post-college job at happen again’”. He followed up his apology Ray at his Silicon Valley homebytoday, 2022 60 Wall Street. handing his boss the envelope which conDespite the large salary and amount of tained his letter of resignation and immediately
walked away, his boss unaware of the witty play those individuals move up in their own career he had just carried out. Nowadays, he chuckles and responsibilities. “I think [a] lifelong relationship is probably the one I treasure the at the memory of seeing his boss’s face shift most…. since you will spend into one of fury and rage at half your life with the people the realization that he had [who] surround you, you just been fooled. “I couldn’t really need to be comforthold my laugh, and of course, able with the type of people once he saw it, he was furiyou will be working with”. ous… his face was red”. He hopes to continue leavToday, Ray continues ing a positive impact on his to advance his diversifying coworkers and those around career in multiple domains, him in the workplace, as and doesn’t plan on stopping One of Ray’s first apartments in America, 1990 well as a legacy that inspires anytime soon. “I still keep it his colleagues to continue with a very open mind. Let Ray’s job at the Haverford library, 1994 bettering themselves. the serendipity just hit me”. Nowadays, many people As he expands his network Ray’s first job after graduate school, 2002 are beginning to stray from of connections over time, he Ray at his Silicon Valley home today, 2022 the idea of a linear career is met with an abundance of ladder and a singular way to rise through your opportunities for new projects with growing career. Ray brings these novel ideas of success startup companies in the bustling tech industo fruition by advising young workers to take try of Silicon Valley, where he resides today. Nowadays, he values being able to grow a team into account the reality of the career ladder. He hopes to help those around him discover their of talented individuals and forging strong own, individual career paths just as he did relationships. He finds joy through watching many years ago by sharing avant-garde ideas of success. In place of leaving behind a grand vision and legacy, Ray strives to influence each “.. the so-called individual person he meets and focuses on the career ladder is small favors that he can do for others. “That’s less about compehow I define and see success—it’s about how tition with other many people you are able to influence versus sort of more individual-centric, in terms of people, your colmy own success”. Ray’s humble, down-to-earth leagues, etc. It’s beginnings usher him to advocate the prioritimore about [how] zation of your own happiness rather than the standards of our society in order to reach your you compete with highest potential. yourself”. “I think that’s the ultimate. If you’re happy, that’s the ultimate success”.
about the author
Nicole Leihe is a junior at Mountain View High School and attends Freestyle Academy as an Animation student. She’s a big fan of ducks and the color green. When she’s not buried in stacks of schoolwork, she enjoys making cards for her loved ones as well as designing a number of things, whether it be outfits or flyers. She also hopes to use other forms of art such as animation, painting, or drawing as tools of expression. Being her own biggest critic, she overall strives to create works of art that she is proud to share and document to the rest of the world.