With graduation and the real world looming, seniors talk about their hopes and fears
By Jessie Hethcoat
As the year is approaching its close, seniors are getting ready to celebrate their last days at the University. Seniors Sarah Hill, Gina Stack, Nina McClymount and Nathan Haskell are four among a class of close to 700 who have reflected upon their last four years and are looking forward to the future.
Sarah Hill
Senior Sarah Hill is a life science major who is excited to graduate from college. Planning on pursuing a career in the education aspect of environmentalism, Hill is working with internships in that area and looking into programs such as AmeriCorps.
"I'm really excited to be done with school and not have to balance the two different worlds of school and everything outside of it," Hill said. "I'm also terrified that I'll be stuck at my parents' house jobless all summer."
While Hill's sentiments toward graduation fit the common excited-anxiety that most seniors feel at this point, Hill also describes being ready to branch away from the college-aspect of her life now.
"I feel like my last four years have been very me-focused," Hill said. "I'm ready to do something in the real world."
Like many other graduates, Hill is willing to relocate for available positions that are not in Portland. Hill has a more optimistic take on the relocation aspect of finding work.
"I'm going wherever I get hired," Hill said. "Why not, if school is ending, go on an adventure and see something I haven't seen before?"
Nathan Haskell
English major and growing Ralph Waldo Emerson enthusiast, senior Nathan Haskell is finding his thesis project (an extended report on Emerson's writings) everywhere. As graduation rapidly approaches, Haskell describes not having a "smidgen" of growing anxiety.
"What's exciting is the after part," Haskell said. "I have this huge list of projects and a daily-growing book list."
As far as post-graduation plans, Haskell intends to spend the time after his graduation working in Portland or teaching English elsewhere. Yet, he also has other things to engage in.
"I want to make my thesis the magnum opus that I didn't have time for," Haskell said. "Then, I guess, there's the getting into the career I want to get in to."
Haskell feels ready to graduate, having arrived at a conclusion from his studies of literature. After years of reading and absorbing, Haskell describes feeling relieved to pursue his own studies.
"I really have something to say," Haskell said. "I've come to my own answer."
Haskell's advice to others that will soon be in his position?
"Pursue everything that interests you, even if that means having to do it on your own time," Haskell said. "Search for and cultivate an original relation to the universe, as Emerson would say."
Nina McClymount
Having just taken the nursing exit exam, senior Nina McClymount approaches graduation with a little more apprehension.
"I am getting pretty excited about graduation, but I think it will be a reality check come fall when I'm not in rewarding classes anymore," McClymount said.
Additionally, McClymount, as one of the many UP nursing students, is aware of the less availability of nursing jobs, especially in the Portland area.
Most nursing students are looking at relocation because of Portland's overflow of qualified nursing applicants from its surrounding nursing institutions.
"All of the nursing students just took the exit exam, and now we're all kind of like, oh great, there aren't any jobs," McClymount said.
While McClymount is excited to be done with schoolwork, she describes being aware of the fact that she will miss different aspects of college life.
"I'll miss the structure of (college) and the social life," McClymount said. "All my friends are here. It's going to be weird to relocate and make all new friends."
Gina Stack
Senior Gina Stack is also feeling a mixture of apprehension and excitement for graduation. With an organizational communications major and political science minor, Stack feels ready to enter the job market.
"Personally, I feel pretty lucky and prepared," Stack said. "Now, it's basically a waiting game that's not necessarily good or bad."
Stack is grateful that her studies at UP have given her a wide skill set that she can apply to a variety of work.
"I think it depends on what you're studying too," Stack said. "I feel like I have a lot of transferable skills that can apply to different types of work."
Stack feels that she has seen many pessimistic seniors who are not looking forward to career searching. Stack, however, believes that the job hunt will be easier than we may believe.
Sticking to the conviction that things will work out, Stack plans to graduate with a hopeful attitude.
"People should be more optimistic than they are (about graduating)," Stack said.
While she is upbeat about the job market that awaits her, Stack also admits that she herself may need to relocate.
"I prefer to stay on the west coast," Stack said. "On the other hand, I'll take what I can get."
