Media Credit: Hilary Corna's main website
By Kaitlyn Boisvert –
“Taking the bull by the horns” took on a whole new meaning for Hilary Corna when her professional life brought her to a business meeting inside a restaurant in Taiwan. As a representative of her company, it was essential that Corna presented a positive image of herself and her company to her fellow business confidentialities. Such a feat could have been viewed as daunting because amid her peers at the restaurant table, she was both the only Caucasian American and the only female present.
For her meal, Corna had opted for a fish cuisine that is much favored in many Asian cultures, and she ate it in a way that was considered the true way to consume fish–entirely, all the way down to its spine and not leaving a single piece of fat left. This included eating the eyes. For most westerners, such an act would probably warrant a grimace or words of disgust and disapproval. Yet, Corna fearlessly scooped up the fish eye, tilted her head back and ate it clean off her fork without a moment of hesitation.
Corna’s peers burst into a round of applause, clearly impressed.
The secret was that Corna had already eaten a fish’s eye before, when she studied abroad in Japan as a college student. The experience had given Corna a memorable life journey, as well as a love for traveling that would take presence in her life again, when she pursued a professional career in the working world.
“The Universe is constantly daring you,” said Corna. “Make it normal to dare yourself. Dares constantly take you out of your comfort zone and while they may not always lead you to success, they at least get you to try.” Corna rightfully earns the title as one who has had her fair share of dares. Following her graduation from college in 2007, she took a big frightening leap, relocating to Singapore in search for a potential job in business.
She stayed with the father of a friend and gave herself an ultimatum – after 2 months or after spending her $2,000, she would retreat and return home. It would be an opportunity for great adventure, yet it was also one that came with great risks and a lot of entitled reasons to feel afraid. While Corna questioned her intentions and logic, she did not falter from her goal.
During her stay, Corna devoted herself to socializing, networking and took every possible opportunity there was to meet new people and get her name out there. She joined many clubs, partook in many activities and attended many social functions. After three weeks in Singapore, there was no job opportunity in sight. She was running out of money, and had no clue what she was going to do next. The pool seemed like a good place for some quick relaxation and reflection. This pool visit offered Corna her first job opportunity.
At the pool, she saw a cute little Japanese boy wading in the waters, wearing a small pool floating device. Since she was well-versed in the language of Japanese, Corna decided to say hello to the boy. The salutation quickly led to her meeting his mother, the wife of the owner of one of the biggest dealerships in Tokyo—Toyota. After telling the woman her backstory, Corna was informed that a job opening was available with the company. Corna was offered the position.
While such a success can be deemed as lucky, Corna insists that it was because that she went with her intuition and took a chance that she was able to land such an exciting opportunity. “A recent study conducted revealed that those who are considered ‘lucky ‘are those who follow their hunches,” said Corna. “People often miss out on opportunities because it is a lot easier to not do anything, and thus people fail to do something they actually wanted to do. This applies to my life, not just by my going to Singapore, but also deciding to say hi to the little boy. Most people would have perhaps thought about saying hello, but wouldn’t have actually done it, and thus would have missed what could have been an exciting opportunity.”
As a new recruit, Corna discovered that not only was the the only female employee that was to be given a higher position, but she would also be the first Caucasian to be working for the company. Upon her first day, she received rounds of applause from her new fellow employees and her boss told her that she was their “One White Face”.
Corna worked for the company for three years, and while she experienced many challenges, she faced them all with a diligent work ethic and a fearless persona. She also allowed herself to be led by a very open curiosity, as she became immersed into a new culture where she learned different and intriguing customs, as well as getting to travel for business and experience other cultures, view different sights, and meet many new faces.
From her recollections, it was clear that Corna had a very exciting and memorable experience, and cherished all that accompanied it. After three years of employment, Corna resigned from her job and returned to the United States. When back in the States, Corna did not shy away from taking dares, as she decided to write a book that reflected on her experiences. While working to support herself, Corna committed to writing eleven pages a day. Eventually, her work was published.
The book is called “One White Face”, and it reflects all the trials and tribulations that Corna experienced as she defied the odds and chased her dreams. After meeting much success, Corna’s book is even being discussed for being adapted into a movie script. While all of her successes can be considered very impressive and perhaps enviable, Corna insists that she is really just a regular girl, who just had some big dreams and that anyone else could be entitled to the same sort of success she attained.
“Embrace your school’s motto, ‘Live, Learn, Make a Difference,” said Corna. “Don’t just survive, thrive. Show people what you can do, and when your intuition dares you, accept it. And most importantly-try, and keep trying. No one can tell you you’re path to success and or make your dreams happen. It is all up to you.”
Corna had made her public presentation at Salve Regina University on Feb. 29, and her visit was planned and sponsored by the school’s Campus Activities Board (CAB). Jivanto Van Hemert, the director of the Spotlight Committee of CAB, commented, “We are so lucky to have met Hilary at this year’s National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Regional Conference. It was clear from the outset that Hilary’s One White Face would be a perfect fit for a CAB Spotlight event as Spotlight brings to campus events that are entertaining but also inherently educational. With an amazing message and a witty delivery, Hilary embodied this ideal and encouraged our students to ‘eat the eyeball’ and accept life’s challenges.”
