From Janitor to Director
A career memoir about finding direction when no one gives you a map.
From cleaning bus station restrooms as a teenager to serving as a university foundation director, this memoir reflects on resilience, professional growth, and learning how to build a career without a blueprint.
Writing About the Real Career Journey
Will Leon writes about resilience, leadership, and the first-generation professional experience. His work explores uncertainty after college, professional setbacks, and the gradual path toward confidence and purpose at work.
From Janitor to Director: A Memoir of Work and Leadership as a First-Generation Professional
After graduating from college, Will Leon faced years of uncertainty, underemployment, and a difficult period of depression before eventually building a leadership career in higher education.This reflective memoir explores professional setbacks, mentorship, and the long journey toward meaningful work.
About the Author
Will Leon is Director of Donor Digital Engagement and Services at Arizona State University Foundation. Over a multi-decade career, Will has worked in roles ranging from janitor and library clerk to executive assistant and advancement leader.A first-generation college graduate, he earned his MBA at age fifty: a turning point that reshaped his professional trajectory.
