Speaker:
- Bill Wixey, Morning News Anchor, FOX 13 Seattle
Length of Lesson: 90 minutes
- 10 minute warm-up
- 55 minute keynote
- 15-30 minute discussion
- Optional classroom activities:
- Career Roadmap
- Turning Setbacks into Strengths
Learning Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
- Describe how passion, purpose, and perseverance influence long-term career success.
- Evaluate the role of resilience in overcoming setbacks and career obstacles.
- Explain how networking, mentorship, and professional relationships create opportunities.
- Analyze how self-awareness can transform perceived weaknesses into professional strengths.
- Apply strategies for career planning, visualization, and goal setting.
- Reflect on maintaining purpose, mental health, and work-life perspective throughout a career.
1: Pre-Video Warm-Up
Activity: “Dream Job”
Ask students to spend five minutes answering the following questions individually.
- What career do you hope to have ten years from now?
- Why does that career matter to you?
- What is one small action you could take this week that would move you closer to that goal?
Afterward, ask volunteers to share.
Transition:
“Bill Wixey argues that achieving your dream career rarely happens through one big breakthrough. Instead, it comes from thousands of small decisions, daily habits, meaningful relationships, and perseverance through setbacks.”
2: Watch the Keynote
Teacher Note
Encourage students to watch for examples of:
- resilience
- visualization
- mentorship
- networking
- accountability
- mental health
- adaptability
- lifelong learning
- authenticity
- career preparation
3. Post-Viewing Discussion Questions
1. Bill argues that discovering your passion provides direction during difficult moments. How does having a clear purpose help people persevere through setbacks?
2. Throughout his career, Bill experienced academic struggles, career disappointments, layoffs, and serious illness. Which setback seemed to teach him the most valuable lesson? Why?
3. One of Bill’s recurring themes is doing “one thing every day” that moves you closer to your goals. Why can consistent small actions often produce greater long-term success than occasional major efforts?
4. Bill described visualization as imagining himself working in his dream newsroom years before it became reality. How might visualization influence motivation and decision-making without replacing hard work?
5. Several career opportunities came through relationships rather than traditional job applications. What does this suggest about the importance of networking and professional reputation?
6. Bill openly discussed living with ADHD and learning to recognize both its challenges and strengths. Why is understanding your own learning style and working habits important for career success?
7. After documenting his cancer journey publicly, Bill realized he had neglected his own mental health. What can professionals learn from his willingness to discuss vulnerability and ask for help?
8. Bill encouraged students to replace the phrase “I have to” with “I get to.” How can this small change in language influence attitude, gratitude, and resilience?
9. He emphasized that journalism fundamentals have remained constant even as technology has changed dramatically. Which professional skills do you believe will remain valuable regardless of future technological advances?
10. Bill concluded by encouraging students to “get yourself in position to get lucky.” What does that phrase mean to you, and how can preparation increase the likelihood of future opportunities?
Optional Activity 1: Career Roadmap
Time: 20 minutes
Have students create a personal five-year career roadmap.
Include:
- Dream career
- Skills needed
- Experiences to pursue
- Potential mentors
- Professional organizations
- Three daily or weekly habits that move them toward their goal
Students then discuss their plans in small groups.
Conclude by asking:
- Which step feels easiest to begin?
- Which obstacle seems most challenging?
- Who could help you along the way?
Optional Activity 2: Turning Setbacks into Strengths
Divide students into groups of four.
Each student shares one challenge they have experienced or anticipate facing (academic, professional, personal, or technical).
The group discusses:
- What strengths could emerge from this challenge?
- What resources or mentors could help?
- How could this setback become part of a future success story?
Groups share one insight with the class.
Teacher Wrap-Up
Ask students to write a short reflection.
Prompt:
Bill Wixey said, “Be your possibility in action.”
In one paragraph, describe:
- the future you hope to become,
- one concrete action you will take this month toward that future,
- and one relationship you want to begin building that could help you along the way.
Key Takeaways
Students should leave understanding that:
- Passion creates purpose, but discipline turns purpose into progress.
- Careers are rarely linear; setbacks often become the foundation for future success.
- Professional relationships frequently create opportunities that résumés alone cannot.
- Self-awareness allows individuals to leverage their unique strengths while managing challenges.
- Mental health and personal well-being are essential components of long-term professional success.
- Success often comes from consistently preparing for opportunities before they appear.
Teacher Notes
Media Literacy Connections
Although Bill Wixey’s keynote centers on his personal journey through broadcast journalism, it also reinforces several enduring principles of media literacy and professional communication.
Students should recognize that:
- Credibility Requires Preparation: Accuracy, accountability, and professionalism remain the foundation of trustworthy journalism regardless of changes in technology.
- Storytelling Creates Connection: Audiences connect most deeply with stories that reveal authentic human experiences rather than simply presenting facts.
- Media Careers Continue to Evolve: Streaming, digital platforms, podcasts, and social media have transformed distribution, but strong reporting, ethical decision-making, and compelling storytelling remain constant.
- Professional Identity Extends Beyond Technical Skills: Employers value resilience, adaptability, curiosity, collaboration, and emotional intelligence alongside communication expertise.
- Purpose Drives Sustainable Success: Careers built solely on achievement or recognition can become fragile, while careers grounded in service, relationships, lifelong learning, and personal values are more likely to provide lasting fulfillment.
This keynote reminds students that success is rarely defined by a single opportunity or accomplishment. Instead, meaningful careers emerge through continual learning, trusted relationships, perseverance through adversity, and the daily choice to pursue work with passion and purpose.