Take 5 with Aidan Wiley

Aidan Wiley (’21)

Wake Forest Fellow at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

1. How do you define success for yourself? What has helped you to be successful?

I wish I still remembered the man who quoted this, but I’ll always remember a podcast where this doctor says “success is how you maximize your personal talents and then give them away.” I think most people would agree that success is, in some fashion, a way of polishing your skillset to be the best version of yourself possible. That said, not as many would agree that success is how you give away your best skills. I think that by keeping a two-pronged approach, we can become more successful. We can both strive to do well to make ourselves proud AND to inspire others, to bring about positive change, and to leave a marked impact on our field.

2. Think of a time that you faced a challenge, obstacle, or roadblock. How did you get through that and what did you learn?

As much as you may prioritize others, you need to put yourself first, especially when it comes to your mental and physical health. If you completely implode because you’re under a lot of stress, overcommitting, mentally strained, etc., you cannot help the people around you as much as you want. When you take care of yourself first, you give your mind, body and soul the space and capability it needs to care for others, too.

3. Who are your people (either by name or role) who help you to be successful/confident/intentional/reflective/any other descriptor you want to use? And how have they helped you?

First and foremost, Dr. Freischlag has been an incredible mentor who’s encouraged me to dive into new experiences and reflect on existing ones. This is my first “real” job, and I wasn’t confident that I knew how to operate in a professional space, especially during COVID…in a hospital. But by giving me regular feedback on my performance, checking in on me professionally and personally, and helping me make connections that can help my work load, I’ve settled into this job well and have full confidence in my ability to succeed as a fellow.

My parents, grandparents, and lifelong friends work to instill confidence in me. I tend to self-doubt and suffer from impostor syndrome, so having a large and strong circle of support helps to reaffirm my capabilities and skills. My parents have especially taught me to be vulnerable with people and let them know when I’m having a difficult time or when I don’t understand something. They always believed vulnerability fostered better trust and communication between people, and I am now seeing that pan out in my job.

4. How did you find your people?

A lot of luck. This is kind of embarrassing and I still cringe a little bit thinking about it, but I was very active in our accepted students chat for the class of 2021. I didn’t like my high school and I was ready to begin a new portion of my life with new friends. I talked way to much and overshared WAY more, but it just so happens that I met dozens of new people in the first week or two of school because they already knew my name and I knew theirs. Now that I’m an alum from Wake as of this past May, I’m still good friends with many of the people I met the first couple weeks of school. Those that came later, I found through the organizations I was involved with on campus, and by being open to making friends with mutual friends.

5. What advice would you give to Wake Forest students as they look for their people?

Say yes to everything and get your name out there. Seriously. This was a piece of advice I gave to underclassmen when I was a senior, and most seniors from the class of 2021 will agree with you. Go to a Wake Football game. Go to a party. Go to that concert. And with everywhere you go, everything you do, take someone with you. Like your roommate? Take them. Hate your roommate? Take your hallmate, or someone you have class with, or someone in a club you’re involved in. Worst case scenario, they say no and you still get to go have a great experience. There were a lot of events I wanted to go to as an undergraduate at Wake that I avoided because I thought I needed to study a lot or because I thought I’d have time to do it in my senior year. Suddenly, when you resign yourself to those plans, a major public health crisis happens and those events no longer exist in your senior year. So take the time now to really immerse yourself in Wake’s campus life, get a feel for your new home, and be brave enough to ask a new friend or group of friends to go with you. They might become your best friends or a second family.