Andrea Davis

The greatest piece of advice I received, and I didn't appreciate it at the time, was to stay open-minded in my field and in my profession - that the best opportunities are the ones that you haven't even heard of yet. It was frustrating at first because I felt like I didn't have clarity on what this path could look like, but it opened me up to opportunities in the field that have been truly incredible. It feels like you're taking each opportunity as they come, but they're all building towards a unique path that is just right for you.

We have a lot of challenges in today's world. It has been more challenging than ever for migration and for international work. This is a really challenging time, but to me, it is the most important time to be really establishing those values in international work and recognizing the importance of intercultural communication and the value that different countries provide to the United States. Right now, for example, I'm currently working in recruiting international nurses to the United States, and there is a massive visa backlog called retrogression. It makes it very challenging for people who are looking to start this journey - the timeframe can be very long. But it's so important to be able to help people find the way. If that is their dream, if that is their goal, it is my work to help them achieve it. To overcome the challenges in the field right now, we need to stay adaptable and be able to roll with the changes. There's one change after another, and I'm constantly having to tell my team that we can't anticipate the future, but we can be consistent and reliable partners for all those that we're working with to ride through the changes.

I value transparency in the opportunities that we provide. I value community and creating experiences that bring people together. And I value shared respect for different cultural backgrounds.