From a College Graduate

In total, I have graduated five times: kindergarten, grade school, middle school, high school and college. (I truly hope I’m done at this point!) Each graduation brought a new level of excitement, all of them except for college. Instead of excitement, I was feeling anxious. The big question every friend and family member would ask was: “What’s next?” Most of my family expected me to go to grad school, but that’s not something I wanted to do. Aside from accumulating more student loans, I did not want to go to grad school because I have spent nearly my entire life in school.

If I truly understood how college worked in the first place, I would have taken a year off after graduating high school. I had no direction for my future and no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up. I believe the time off would have given me a chance to explore my interests and passions.

I was “undeclared” for the 3 years, until I stumbled upon my major, JAMS, while taking my gen-eds. I failed some classes and succeeded in others. Even though I had chosen my major, no flame had ignited in me about my future career. That was until I added my second major, DAC. I realized that I could be more creative and expressive in my work, hence how I got into graphic design.

Even after discovering my passion, I found myself asking: “What’s next?” An internship was a nice thought until I realized that most internships do not pay. By this time, I had my own space and was paying rent so working for free was not an option. Instead, I focused on finishing school and only that.

Now that I am a graduate with a B.A. from the College of Letter and Science, I still find myself asking: “What’s next?” Honestly, I still don’t have a clue. Though, after some reflection post-graduation, I don’t feel anxious stepping out into the real world. Instead, I am inspired to tell stories through visual presentations, and I do that by helping people tell their stories through their brands.