Astrid Michalak

Two things: 1). I never give up! 2). I don’t view failure as final — only as an opportunity to learn and adjust.

By nature, I’m analytical and introspective, so I take time to think before I react or respond. It’s important to me to fully absorb and understand a situation from every angle before I speak. Someone could say something harsh or unsettling, but I will examine it six ways from Sunday before allowing myself to respond. That discipline is learned, but it has served me exceptionally well. Along with never giving up!

I’ve always believed that if you’re going to do something, you should do it right — advice my father gave me early in life, and it has guided me ever since. If I’m giving my time and effort to something, it deserves to be done correctly. Cutting corners never pays off.

I learned that in the dental lab from the beginning: if a crown or bridge isn’t perfect, it doesn’t get cemented. That means rework, a patient taking more time off work, and a dentist having to redo something that should have been right the first time. Precision matters because real people feel the impact when it’s missing.

That mindset stayed with me throughout my corporate career. When others pushed to take shortcuts, I held the line. Experience has taught me that cutting corners always leads somewhere you don’t want to go. Doing things right the first time isn’t just a standard — it’s a discipline that protects the work, the people, and the outcome.

To never give up. To always have hope. To focus less on present circumstances, and more on the goal. And as you're moving through difficulties, realize that that's what they are, they're passing. Everything shall pass, this too shall pass! When working through some kind of roadblock, impediment, or difficulty keeping a level head is very important. And if you completely fall apart or completely come undone it doesn't serve you, because the challenge is transitory, it will go away, and things will return to normal. So having that level-headed approach to things always makes everything easier and will serve you better.

The most significant challenge I’ve faced recently has been navigating the effects of a major organizational reorganization. At 64, it required me to reassess my path and consider whether to remain within a shifting corporate structure or step into an entirely new environment with its own culture and expectations. That kind of transition is never simple, especially at a stage of life where stability and continuity matter.

Experiencing such change so close to, but not yet at, retirement age brings its own complexities. It creates a moment of pause — a point where timing, practicality, and long‑term planning all intersect. Working until 67 for full Social Security and being a year away from Medicaid eligibility adds another layer to the decisions I need to make.

Before this, the main challenge I encountered was pursuing roles typically reserved for candidates with master’s degrees. While I didn’t have the degree, I had decades of deep, varied experience — and I consistently proved myself in those positions. My time as a Capability Manager is a strong example of that. I earned those opportunities through performance, adaptability, and results.

So while the absence of a master’s degree was once a hurdle I overcame, this period of reorganization has been the most defining challenge — not because of capability, but because of timing, structural change, and the realities of navigating a shifting corporate landscape.

For me, faith is the heart of everything. My relationship with God is the foundation of my life, and aligning myself with His will is what gives meaning and direction to everything I do. When you truly place God at the center, the virtues follow — honesty, integrity, charity, humility — all of them flow from a heart formed by grace.

Living the faith means allowing the teachings of the Church, the Ten Commandments, and the example of Christ to shape who you are from the inside out. It’s not just belief; it’s a way of life. When your conscience is anchored in God, it transforms how you think, how you speak, and how you treat others.

Being a faith‑based person isn’t simply important to me — it’s essential. It’s the compass that guides my choices, the strength that carries me through challenges, and the quiet assurance that God is present in every step.