--- title: "Mentor Spotlight: Lydia Cawley" description: Learn about a Curious Cardinals mentor's journey from failure to finding her passion. --- [![cc-logo-black-1](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cc-logo-black-1.png?width=173&height=57&name=cc-logo-black-1.png "cc-logo-black-1")](https://www.curiouscardinals.com/) Open main menu Close main menu # Mentor Spotlight: Lydia Cawley [Curious Cardinals](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/author/curious-cardinals) [Share this blog post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/mentor-spotlight-lydia-cawley) [Share this blog post on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/mentor-spotlight-lydia-cawley) [Share this blog post on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/mentor-spotlight-lydia-cawley) At 13, Lydia had one dream—become a sports medicine doctor—and knew exactly how to get there–attend the local science magnet school.  But at the end of the year, the unimaginable happened: Lydia didn’t get in. The failure forced her to pivot, to rethink how to apply her passions and strengths. She says it was the best thing that could have possibly happened to her.  This failure set Lydia on the path to success. In the absence of sports medicine, she discovered classical literature and languages, the ancient world and linguistics.  Fast forward to 2022, and Lydia speaks five languages, worked for the U.S. Embassy in Algiers, assisted archeological excavations in Greece, and programmed for museums in Washington, DC, and Amman, Jordan. She’s earned a joint bachelors in both Classics and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard and a Master’s from the University of Cambridge, where she researched modern Arabic poetry adapted from ancient Greek tragedy. Lydia is living proof that passion-finding is a roundabout discovery process that rewards risk-takers.  At Curious Cardinals, we’re proud to employ over 350 mentors like her: exceptional, passionate, inspiring.  Learning from mentors like Lydia goes beyond mastering subject matter. It gives students the confidence they need to relentlessly follow their own curiosity, because they know failure is not just a pit stop on the road to success. It’s an integral part of it.  Want to find a relatable mentor who suits your student’s interests? Fill out our [get started form](https://info599864.typeform.com/to/cChKmeNZ?typeform-source=www.curiouscardinals.com&utm_campaign=storyled_Lydia&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8LoFAlik3jQyVWKle2554m-fO0pa_BwszbBccp1FCYU1S2scCKR_GvHLSWBLCpaQvpjLTM#firstname=xxxxx&email=xxxxx) or [schedule a brainstorm call](https://calendly.com/austin-curiouscardinals?utm_campaign=storyled_Lydia&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8LoFAlik3jQyVWKle2554m-fO0pa_BwszbBccp1FCYU1S2scCKR_GvHLSWBLCpaQvpjLTM) to explore which member of our team would be perfect for you. ### Leave a Comment ## Related Articles [![](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/hubfs/BlogPost%20header%20image%20(1)-1.png)](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/transformed-by-a-gap-year-choosing-mental-health-over-timelines) [advice for parents](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/tag/advice-for-parents) [mentor relfections](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/tag/mentor-relfections) [mentor](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/tag/mentor) [mental health](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/tag/mental-health) ### [Transformed by a Gap Year: Choosing Mental Health Over Timelines](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/transformed-by-a-gap-year-choosing-mental-health-over-timelines) *Mental Health Awareness Month, which takes place in May and aligns with the conclusion of the academic year, can be an extremely challenging and stressful time for...* [Katie Fong](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/author/guest-writer) [Read More](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/transformed-by-a-gap-year-choosing-mental-health-over-timelines) [![grace pan and mia morgan smile in conversation](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/hubfs/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-14%20at%2010.30.35%20AM.png)](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/why-you-should-learn-about-entrepreneurship-as-a-high-school-student) [entrepreneurship](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/tag/entrepreneurship) ### [Why You Should Learn About Entrepreneurship as a High School Student](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/why-you-should-learn-about-entrepreneurship-as-a-high-school-student) *A ninth grader and Curious Cardinals student ambassador shares how the field has shaped her world view.* [Mia Morgan](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/author/mia-morgan) [Read More](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/why-you-should-learn-about-entrepreneurship-as-a-high-school-student) - [HOME](https://curiouscardinals.com/) - [MENTORS](https://www.curiouscardinals.com/mentors) - [PROGRAMS](https://www.curiouscardinals.com/programs) - [BECOME A MENTOR](https://www.curiouscardinals.com/become-a-mentor) - [COMMUNITY](https://www.curiouscardinals.com/community) - [ABOUT US](https://www.curiouscardinals.com/about) - [FINANCIAL AID](https://www.curiouscardinals.com/financial-aid) - [DONATE](https://www.curiouscardinals.com/donate) - [BLOG](https://blog.curiouscardinals.com/) - [CAREERS](https://jobs.lever.co/CuriousCardinals) - [TERMS & CONDITIONS](https://www.curiouscardinals.com/terms-and-conditions) - [PRIVACY POLICY](https://www.curiouscardinals.com/privacy-policy) - [HELP CENTER](https://intercom.help/curious-cardinals/en/) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/curiouscardinals/) [Follow us on Twitter](https://www.instagram.com/curiouscardinals/)