Measuring Success: The American Dream

Erin Cavalier, MSBA '18, joined the program as a Politics major with the understanding that "a degree in politics has a very important and permanent place in the business world." Below, she writes about how success and the American Dream are connected:

"Success. Most people strive to be successful, but few know what it looks like.

In the United States, success is measured by one’s ability to achieve the “American Dream.” The notion dates back to the country’s founding and the Declaration of Independence. Simply put, the American Dream is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is the ability to build a successful life through hard work and individual initiative.

Every generation has a different perspective on how exactly to achieve success and now, and as a millennial, we are building our own version.

My parent’s version of the American Dream includes happiness, home ownership, debt-free living, and a comfortable retirement. While all of this plays a large part in what success means to me, I believe there is more to it. Success to me is the ability to travel and explore the world’s cultures. Success to me is the understanding and execution of a healthy work-life balance.

Success is unique to each person and it varies among and within generations.

Although the parameters of the American Dream change over time, the fact that is used as tool to measure success does not."