Lakeland graduate returns to campus with advice for a new generation
Megan (Stock) Pickell ’08 MBA ’10 returned to Lakeland University on Thursday with a message she knows from experience: Some of the most important parts of college are the things you cannot always see on a transcript.
Pickell was the featured speaker for Lakeland’s Opening Convocation, officially welcoming the university community to the 2026-27 academic year.
Pickell, who worked as the university’s marketing graduate assistant while earning her master’s degree, also played women’s soccer and was involved in Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and Colleges Against Cancer. Today, she is director of strategic initiatives at AbbVie, where she leads complex, global cross-functional programs within the company’s global finance organization.
But Pickell told students that when she looks back on her time at Lakeland, the most valuable parts of her college experience were not simply the classes she took or the items she could add to a résumé.
“They were the people I met, the teams I joined, and the opportunities I took seriously,” she said.
That became the focus of her message to students.
Get involved — but be intentional
Pickell encouraged students to make the most of the opportunities around them, but not simply to collect activities for a résumé.
Her own experiences at Lakeland provided plenty of examples.
Women’s soccer taught her teamwork, accountability, resilience, communication and how to perform under pressure. Her involvement with SIFE exposed her to business, leadership, collaboration and practical problem-solving. Through Colleges Against Cancer and Relay for Life, she learned how to organize people around a shared purpose.
“Don’t participate just to fill a résumé,” Pickell told students. “Choose a few things that matter to you. Be confident and curious.”
Invest in people
Pickell also encouraged students to focus on relationships rather than simply building a professional network.
“Invest in people — truly get to know them,” she said.
The relationships she built as a Lakeland student continue to be part of her life today as she remains close with many of the friends she made on campus. One of them, her former classmate and soccer teammate Elisa (Waltz) Carr ’08 MAC ’12, attended Thursday’s event.
Pickell and Carr had lunch with the current women’s soccer team, sharing stories from their own experience and getting to know the next generation of Lakeland student-athletes.
Pickell’s message to students was simple: Ask what you can learn from the people around you and how you can contribute to their lives, rather than focusing only on what they can do for you.
“Some of the most valuable relationships in my career started before I knew where my career would take me,” she said.
Say yes before you feel ready
Pickell's third piece of advice was to embrace opportunities even when the path forward is not completely clear.
“You do not have to feel qualified, or know exactly where something will lead, before you take the opportunity,” she said.
She encouraged students to use college as a place to practice leadership, public speaking, collaboration, organization and problem-solving. The experiences that challenge you, she said, are often the ones that build confidence.
That lesson has been evident throughout Pickell’s own career. Her career began in procurement before she transitioned into program management, building experience across the pharmaceutical and technology industries before moving into her current role at AbbVie.
Leave room for the unexpected
Pickell's final piece of advice was perhaps the one she could speak to most personally. Students do not need to have their entire careers mapped out at 18, 19 or 20, she said.
Instead, she encouraged them to explore different interests, learn what energizes them, stay open to unexpected opportunities and remember that a first career choice does not have to define an entire career.
“The connection between college and your future is not always obvious in the moment,” Pickell said. “But those experiences do connect later on.”
For Pickell, they certainly did.
Before Opening Convocation, Pickell visited the sports marketing class and gave students tips on how to navigate the job interview process.
While her visit was an opportunity to share what she has learned since graduating, it was also a chance to reconnect with the place where many of those lessons began.
“When I look back, I remember the people who invested in me, the teams that challenged me, and the organizations that gave me a place to contribute,” Pickell said. “I did not know it at the time, but those experiences were shaping me for the person I am today.”
