{"id":68644,"date":"2026-04-27T09:23:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T13:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=68644"},"modified":"2026-04-27T09:23:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T13:23:23","slug":"krug-life-lessons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/krug-life-lessons\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Keep Moving, Even When the Path Is Steep\u2019: Lessons from the Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">In the decades since I graduated, I\u2019ve realized that Cornell taught me things I never expected\u2014from resilience to deep listening<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-cornell-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4f66d45612aaf80d2d77724f720f26a9\"><em>\u201cChime In\u201d comprises brief first-person essays by Cornellians. Do you have a topic in mind? Email us at <a href=\"&#109;&#97;&#105;&#x6c;t&#x6f;&#58;&#99;&#111;&#114;n&#x65;&#x6c;&#x6c;&#x69;&#x61;n&#x73;&#x40;c&#x6f;rn&#101;&#x6c;&#108;&#x2e;&#101;&#x64;&#x75;\">&#x63;&#x6f;&#114;&#x6e;&#101;&#108;l&#x69;&#x61;n&#115;&#x40;&#x63;&#111;&#x72;&#110;&#x65;&#108;l&#x2e;&#101;&#x64;u<\/a>! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rachel Krug \u201904<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">I arrived in Ithaca believing that college would prepare me for a career\u2014idealistically, one where I could make a discovery that would change the world. I did not realize that, in addition to my education, Cornell would prepare me to navigate ambiguity, build resilience, and remain confident under pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In one of my freshman writing seminars, for example, I walked in with a paper on women in science that I felt proud of. I had worked hard on the argument and believed it held together. As soon as other people started sharing their stories, however, my confidence started to wobble.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Rachel Krug\" class=\"wp-image-70645 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-632x790.jpg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-316x395.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-280x350.jpg 280w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-140x175.jpg 140w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-70x87.jpg 70w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-400x500.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1-100x125.jpg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Rachel-Krug-Headshot-A-1.jpg 1260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A classmate pointed out that the claims in my essay extended beyond what my evidence supported. The professor circled a paragraph and asked whether I had moved too quickly from observation to conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I remember feeling exposed, like a very small fish in a very big pond. I also remember going back to my dorm and looking up how to transfer to another college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, I soon got used to a pattern that repeated itself across seminars, then semesters, then years: I\u2019d write a first draft, receive constructive criticism, and revise it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I remember feeling exposed, like a very small fish in a very big pond. I also remember going back to my dorm and looking up how to transfer to another college.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Soon enough, I realized that with each version, my work improved. And, over time, I learned to separate my ideas and homework from my identity. Revising my thinking strengthened my work and challenged me to perform at my best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Years later, as a business executive leading a cross-functional team, I found myself in a room where my strategy and vision documents were challenged line by line. I had to absorb objections, respond with curiosity, and clarify trade-offs with as much data and foresight as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cornell had already trained that muscle: I knew I could revise and enhance my work without losing my confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Rachel Krug at the Lab of Ornithonlogy, standing in from of a painting that makes her appear to have black and white wings\" class=\"wp-image-70647\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-608x342.jpg 608w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-304x171.jpg 304w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-152x85.jpg 152w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-1184x666.jpg 1184w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-592x333.jpg 592w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-296x166.jpg 296w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-1264x711.jpg 1264w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-632x356.jpg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-316x178.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_8636-A-1.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The author at the Lab of Ornithology.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As a sociology major, I remember working on a research project where I expected to find that widows living at home would be better off than those living in a senior housing facility. The theory made sense, but the results I expected didn\u2019t show up in the data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure, I could have tried to twist the data to make it fit, or collected more\u2014but I decided to stick with the facts as they were. That decision felt technical at the time; in hindsight, it was deeply ethical, requiring both humility and a willingness to do the right thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the early days of the pandemic, I led a team of sales development representatives, account executives, and marketers. Within days, we were instructed to take our monitors and chairs home and get ready to work remotely for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Over time, I learned to separate my ideas and homework from my identity. Revising my thinking strengthened my work and challenged me to perform at my best.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>I updated my revenue projections overnight. My emotions, as well as those of my direct reports and peers, were intense. Some team members were dealing with personal losses. The data we all had was incomplete and confusing, and changed every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The muscle I relied on was the same one I\u2019d developed during my time as an undergraduate research assistant. I resisted the urge to stick to an old theory about how a revenue team should work and where a business should operate, and instead approached everything with a fresh perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My Cornell classes almost always required participation, and in many, it made up 20% of my grade; they were full of debate, disagreement, group projects, and peer insights. To really understand different viewpoints, I had to listen closely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery alignwide has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"70646\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Rachel Krug (right) with a classmate standing in front of a red Cornell University background\" class=\"wp-image-70646\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-632x790.jpg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-316x395.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-280x350.jpg 280w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-140x175.jpg 140w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-70x87.jpg 70w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-400x500.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1-100x125.jpg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_1203-A-1.jpg 1260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"799\" height=\"999\" data-id=\"70648\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rachel Krug (seated at right) with a professor and members of an acting class\" class=\"wp-image-70648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1.jpg 799w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1-632x790.jpg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1-316x395.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1-280x350.jpg 280w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1-140x175.jpg 140w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1-70x87.jpg 70w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1-400x500.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_9573-A-1-100x125.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">At a meeting of the Cornell Association of Class Officers, and at a CAU summer acting class.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I discovered that disagreement is an opportunity to improve my thinking. This became essential to my leadership\u2014being able to listen to all points of view before making a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a business operator, I rely on listening every day. When engineers explain constraints, sales representatives describe buyer hesitation, or customers share product feedback, I listen intently, ask questions, and ponder what their responses mean without jumping to conclusions or deciding on next steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s true that trust and friendship grow when people feel heard. Cornell gave me plenty of practice in staying present during conversations with different perspectives and no clear right answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And Cornell offered lessons beyond the classroom. The hills are steep. The wind is fast. Winter lasts longer than you think it will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I discovered that disagreement is an opportunity to improve my thinking. This became essential to my leadership\u2014being able to listen to all points of view before making a decision.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>I learned to dress in layers, and accept that some days needed more effort just to make it to class than others. Complaining did not flatten the incline. Preparation and persistence mattered more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Years later, I relied on that steadiness when a security breach disrupted the product I managed. The situation escalated quickly. Customers lost access. Leaders wanted answers. The technical details were complex and incomplete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet, I stayed calm, gathered facts, and focused on clear communication. I accepted that the conditions were hard and moved forward, step by step. Thankfully, we diagnosed the issue and got our product back online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cornell taught me to keep moving even when the path is steep. I learned that effort compounds, preparation matters, and a calm presence and steady movement forward are what life is all about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Arts &amp; Sciences alum <strong>Rachel Krug \u201904<\/strong> is the vice president of sales at Eyes On Eyecare; she previously worked at the health-tech company Virtual Field and at Bulletin, the online wholesale marketplace. She holds an MBA from NYU.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>(All images provided.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Published April 27, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the decades since I graduated, I\u2019ve realized that Cornell taught me things I never expected\u2014from resilience to deep listening<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":70660,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"alumni_hub_syml_posts":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[639],"tags":[],"cornell_year_post":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-68644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-perspectives"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2018Keep Moving, Even When the Path Is Steep\u2019: Lessons from the Hill - Cornellians | Cornell University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In the decades since I graduated, I\u2019ve realized that Cornell taught me things I never expected\u2014from resilience to deep listening\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/krug-life-lessons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Keep Moving, Even When the Path Is Steep\u2019: Lessons from the Hill - Cornellians | Cornell University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the decades since I graduated, I\u2019ve realized that Cornell taught me things I never expected\u2014from resilience to deep listening\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/krug-life-lessons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cornellians | Cornell University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Cornellians\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-27T13:23:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-27T13:23:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/CI-Rachel_Krug-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Beth Saulnier\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@WeCornellians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@WeCornellians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Beth Saulnier\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/krug-life-lessons\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/krug-life-lessons\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Beth Saulnier\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100\"},\"headline\":\"\u2018Keep Moving, Even When the Path Is Steep\u2019: Lessons from the Hill\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-27T13:23:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-27T13:23:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/krug-life-lessons\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1044,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/krug-life-lessons\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/CI-Rachel_Krug-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Chime In\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/krug-life-lessons\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/krug-life-lessons\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/krug-life-lessons\\\/\",\"name\":\"\u2018Keep Moving, Even When the Path Is Steep\u2019: Lessons from the Hill - 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