Sometimes we face unfortunate situations, often having a hard time putting the disappointment or anger associated with them behind us. Every fortnight, tune in to see how Tufts alumnae have faced circumstances that seemed to work against them at the time but how it has shaped the success that they have experienced. These “silver lining” stories are a reminder to look past the trying situations we may find ourselves in and work towards making a better future.

As many college students begin to receive acceptance and rejection letters from graduate programs, companies and fellowships, there are bound to be some amazing successes and joyous moments that the colleges will no doubt reference when they speak with prospective students. However, there will also be moments of rejection and perhaps some contemplation over what the rejected students should do with their lives. This week’s “Silver Lining” story takes a look at the rejection of one Jumbo alum whose post-college plans didn’t turn out as she had hoped, but whose life has gone on to include highlights such as working at Nestle, serving as an account executive at the NBA during the first and only dream team and even becoming marketing director of the Olympic programs at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Meet Robin Pearson, class of 1984. As a minority student growing up in New York, Robin always thought she would return to New York where her father was a New York City cop and her mother was a receptionist at an insurance company. As a student at Tufts in the 1980s, Robin worked campus jobs and held internships. She sang with the Kuumba Singers of Harvard and Radcliffe and was a sports enthusiast. Ms. Pearson had one goal at the end of her final year as a Jumbo: she wanted to attend Northwestern University as a student of the business school. Her belief was that her social psychology degree would give her an edge in the emerging world of marketing. However, when Ms. Pearson got the letter that could make or break her dreams, she learned that had been deferred for a year. Like any impatient soon-to-be college graduate, she went where she had a place, UCLA. Although the California school was not her first choice, she embraced her new home and checked living in California off of her bucket list. Two years passed, and Ms. Pearson graduated with a position in marketing at Nestle waiting for her. There she thrived under the direction of John Harris, another UCLA alum and former CEO of Nestle, but in 1989, she yearned to return to New York. Following the advice of her mentor, John Harris, and determined to make it in New York, she accepted a position at Bristol Meyer Squib running the marketing for Nuprin, an Advil alternative. Working on Park Avenue for Bristol Meyer didn’t turn out to be the incredible experience she had imagined, and so after a year she landed a job as an account executive at the NBA. There she worked with incredible lawyers and financial minds as well as some of the most legendary basketball players the world has ever known, including Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan. Finally, she was doing what she loved: running high profile accounts, interacting with interesting people and learning how to combine everything she had learned at Nestle and Bristol Myers Squibb. However, her journey had only begun.

Following her career at the NBA, Ms. Pearson met and married Bill Pearson, who, ironically, now serves as the director of human capital at the Kellogg School of Management (otherwise known as Northwestern’s business school). With the marriage came a move to Chicago for a year followed quickly by a move back to California. A year later, an offer from the Atlanta Olympics found its way to her. In 1995, she began her work as the marketing director of Olympic programs for the 1996 games, culminating with her running the Olympic torch in the games, an incredible privilege. Finally, her whirlwind began to settle down and she moved to Portland taking the position of Senior Director of Marketing and Sales for the Nike World Master Games to take place in 1998. Along the way, she had her only daughter, Kaitlyn, and her work life began to quiet a little bit.

Ms. Pearson’s “silver lining” of working with and for some of the most iconic companies in the sports industry was all made possible by the simple decision to move on from the unfortunate outcome of her Northwestern application and accept her spot at UCLA. This silver lining has greatly outweighed the disappointment of her rainy day back in 1984.

So as you begin to hear from your dream programs and as your mail brings some of the inevitable rejections, deferrals and lack of scholarships offers, remember to put those clouds behind you because it might be just the thing you need in order to end up doing the thing you love.