Dreams, growth, and gratitude - Alexia-Ileana Salmon’s journey of self-discovery

Graduation is more than a ceremony. It’s a moment suspended in time - where the past, present, and future meet in a rush of memories, gratitude, and hope. As HEC Paris celebrates the Class of 2025, we invited some of our amazing Master’s students to write a letter to themselves – to pause and reflect on where it all began, and who they’ve become.
 

In this heartfelt letter, Alexia-Ileana Salmon, a student in the Master in Marketing program, retraces her path from awe-struck first steps on campus to the poised, purposeful woman she is today. Through sleepless nights and quiet triumphs, through friendships born across continents and dreams reshaped by experience, she shares the emotional landscape of a transformative journey.
 

Dear Alexia-Ileana,

On the eve of graduation, I find myself walking once more through the paths of memory back to that first morning at HEC Paris, suitcase in hand, heart thumping with wonder. I remember the unfamiliar air, the shy smiles exchanged with strangers who would soon become friends, and the quiet, fierce determination inside me: to grow, to learn, to become. I carried dreams like fragile glass hoping HEC Paris would help me shape them, but not yet knowing how profoundly it would reshape me.

And it did. Beyond what I could have imagined.

HEC Paris was never just a school. It was a universe: demanding, dazzling, and at times disorienting. I’ve known sleepless nights before project deadlines, laughter echoing through the dorms, and the sudden warmth of a friend’s hug during moments of doubt. I’ve stood on stages I never thought I’d reach, spoken in rooms I once feared to enter, and worked with companies that once felt out of reach. I’ve grown immensely: personally, professionally, and most of all, inwardly.

This journey taught me to believe in the quiet power of perseverance, in the boldness of self-confidence, and in the boundless possibility of dreaming big. I learned that “too big” is just a phrase we tell ourselves when we’re scared. That there is no such thing as a dream too grand, only the need for a plan, a heart, and the will to get there. The world is ours if only we dare to take that first, imperfect step.

But perhaps the most beautiful gift of HEC Paris has been the people.

My best friends come from worlds apart: different languages, beliefs, ways of seeing and being and yet, we found each other. Through group projects, shared meals, spontaneous trips, and quiet tears, they became my family. They stood by me during the highs and the depths, and I stood by them. In learning from them, I found myself becoming someone better, someone richer not in knowledge, but in soul. Without them, I wouldn't have made it to this moment. I carry each of them with me, stitched into the fabric of who I am now.

And now, as I stand on the edge of this chapter’s end, I feel everything at once. Gratitude, because my parents carried me on their backs so I could walk tall into my future. Emotion, because I see how far I’ve come. Bittersweet joy, because I will miss all my years on campus, from that first summer school in 2019, to the long Gustave lunches, the discussion-filled walks by the Château, the countless coffees, the all-nighters in building S, the chaos and the calm.

HEC Paris has left a mark on me, and part of me will always remain on that campus.

And now… I walk into Paris, not as the dreamer who arrived, but as the woman she hoped to become. Ready to embrace the world of marketing, ready to craft stories, build brands, and hopefully touch others the way this place has touched me.

So, here’s my message to myself, from this still point in time:

Keep rocking. Keep shining. Keep grinding. Never settle. Don’t let pride be the resting place, let it be fuel. There is always more to learn, more to give, more to feel. Chase the small joys, cherish the little moments because they are what makes the journey beautiful.

And when the road feels long, or short, or simply strange, remember the words of Cavafy in Ithaka:

"Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way..."

Here’s to the road, the island, and all that lies between.

With love, always,
Alexia-Ileana
 

In Alexia-Ileana’s journey we can recognize pieces of our own - the fear of beginning, the thrill of discovery, the ache of goodbyes, and the importance of holding on to our dreams.

Her letter is a reminder that HEC Paris isn’t just a place where careers begin - it’s where identities are shaped, voices are found, and lifelong friendships are born. It shows us that success isn't a destination but a series of moments - shared, earned, and deeply felt.

Find out more about the Master in Marketing