As the spring semester progresses, the date for graduation gets closer and closer. For many students nearing the end of their undergraduate experience, passing time creates mixed emotions. While wrapping up an undergraduate experience elicits feelings of excitement, especially around finishing coursework, it also can bring up feelings of unease as students transition into a new phase of life. For many students, planning for their post-graduation future can feel daunting as they consider graduate programs, full-time jobs, moving to new apartments, cities, or states, and beyond.
As with different experiences in life, it can be helpful to hear from those who have experienced the same or similar things. As commencement approaches, three 2024 College for Women graduates share insights on what approaching graduation was like for them and how their first year of post-graduate life has been going. Leena Abdulla, Shavonnye Rath, and Leah Keith each graduated from different undergraduate programs at St. Kate’s and have all been exploring different opportunities in education and in the workforce.
What did you study as an undergraduate student at St. Kate’s?
Leena: Sociology and critical studies of race and ethnicity.
Shavonnye: I studied exercise science with minors in biology and longevity and aging.
Leah: I studied Electronic Media Studies and Women’s Studies.
What is your current position? (graduate school, jobs, etc.)
Leena: I’m in the master of Social Work program at St. Kate’s, hopefully, to work as a mental health therapist in the future, but as time goes on in my program, I’m thinking I might like to do more macro-level social work as well. I’m also currently working as a Psychiatric Associate at Fairview in a residential chemical dependency unit for adolescents.
Shavonnye: I am currently the grant coordinator for the Katies for Aging Research and Equity Program at St. Kate’s, which is a $2 million R25 grant funded by the NIA to support undergraduate students in studying and researching aging. I am in my first gap year, entering my second.
Leah: I currently work at Stinson LLP, a law firm in downtown Minneapolis, in their office services department. I support paralegals and attorneys through administration work in order to provide exemplary experiences for their clients.
How did your plans for the future change (if at all) during your undergraduate experience?
Leena: I started off in social work and changed my major about a week into my freshman year to sociology because I fell in love with sociology, and learned you don’t need a social work bachelor’s to get a master’s in social work. I went back and forth between whether I wanted to continue to be a social worker or if I wanted to go into academia. For now, I chose this path, but I still don’t know what the future holds for me. I’m only 24, so I figure there’s a lot of time to change my mind. I even kind of have been thinking of opening up a matcha business if the federal government takes away FAFSA. Out of everything post-grad has taught me, it’s really taught me how much surrender to fate you have to have.
Shavonnye: Originally, I was a 3+3 student on the pre-physical therapy track, but after spending a lot of time doing research and in biology-centered opportunities, I decided not to pursue PT, but rather a career in research. I am fascinated by human physiology and medicine, and I left undergrad aiming to develop skills and experiences that would enable me to enter a career in research in the future. I was not super open to new things in undergrad because I was so focused on doing all the right things to get accepted into the PT program here, but had I not tried new things towards the end, I would never have unveiled my passion for research and understanding aging physiology.
Leah: My plans for the future did not change all that much during undergrad, but my plans did change more after I graduated. During undergrad, I wanted to go into the journalism/communications field after I graduated, and that is still a major goal of mine. However, my plans changed after I graduated when the idea of going to law school piqued my interest. After that, I began looking for entry-level jobs at law firms to see if I would like that type of environment, which is how I landed at my current position.
What were your post-graduate plans a little over a month before you graduated in May 2024?
Leena: I thought I would still be in my foundational fieldwork placement and fast-tracking through my program on the two-year track. I thought I’d probably be working at the same job I was working while undergrad.
Shavonnye: Although I want to pursue graduate studies, I knew I needed a gap year. I originally planned to take a job in a clinic following graduation, but then I applied to this job. I never thought in a million years I would work at a university or in academia at all, let alone right out of college.
Leah: One year ago today, I wanted to find a post-grad job as a journalist or communications specialist while I lived at home with my parents to save money. I knew I probably wouldn’t find my dream job right away, but I wanted to get a job I didn’t hate so I could start growing my savings.
How do your current graduate programs and/or positions compare to what you were planning for about one year ago?
Leena: I applied for the job I have now at Fairview, and didn’t know it even existed prior to graduation. It’s a job that requires a four-year degree, and I’m glad I learned about it because it’s really fulfilling and makes me excited to go to work every day.
Shavonnye: Having this opportunity right out of college wasn’t something I expected, but I knew after graduation that it was a possibility to develop new skills that would set me up to work in a lab, do research, and enter graduate school. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing, but I knew it would be an invaluable (and fun!) gap year experience.
Leah: My current experience definitely differs from what I had in mind, as I did not expect to work at a law firm after I graduated. However, I did end up living at home for a year after I graduated, and I feel incredibly thankful that my family welcomed me home and lives close to the Twin Cities, where I found my job.
What’s one thing you would tell the version of yourself who was about a month away from graduating?
Leena: Leena, you’ve got a big storm coming… I feel like there’s so much pressure to have your life figured out right as you graduate, and if you’re going to school again to finish fast. That really makes it feel like you’re not absorbing what you’re learning well enough. I learned quickly that rushing through would not make me happy or make me feel like I was living authentically. During my graduate school orientation, probably around April of 2024, one of the student speakers said, “You make plans and God laughs.” That phrase would ring over and over in my mind, and then I realized why once I got to grad school.
Shavonnye: I would definitely tell myself and others about to graduate and who are currently applying to programs and jobs to never sell yourself short!!! Have the confidence to at least apply because you never know the possibilities! I would also tell myself to be open to trying new things and taking on adjacent opportunities that may serve as a stepping stone for the future.
Leah: I would tell myself that it’s totally okay to feel big emotions about the upcoming graduation. Throughout my undergrad, I had no plans to continue education after earning my bachelors, so I had to say goodbye to 12+ years of being a student. I didn’t realize that my identity as a student meant so much to me, so I would remind myself to spend time with friends, grab coffee with professors, and enjoy the everyday privilege of learning. Embrace the goodbyes that graduating soon will bring.
Do you have any other advice for students who are nearing graduation and thinking about their post-graduate paths?
Leena: Just remember that little to nothing in this life is in our control. Sometimes we become really convinced that one thing and one thing only will make us happy, we attach our present identities to these versions of ourselves that do not exist, but we insist will exist if we can validate our safety based on the job we think we want. None of that is good for your self-image or peace. It’s okay to have aspirations and to want to love what you do, but leave room for fate, you might find that it brings you a lot more of the peace you think the aspirations you’ve attached yourself to will bring you. You can lose jobs, friends, opportunities, grades, etc., but you will always have you, and that is the only thing that is in your control, so nurture yourself and don’t abandon yourself, and everything else will feel a lot more unserious.
Shavonnye: I think exiting college was one of the most stressful yet relieving experiences. There are so many options and opportunities out there. I would strongly recommend finding new adventures (jobs, internships, graduate studies, etc.) where you will hone your skills but also have fun. I also think it’s important that students know that it’s okay to not know exactly what you want to do. Just be open to experiences and listen to what excites you! (And take advantage of all of career development’s resources, now and as an alum!)
Leah: If possible, I would recommend living at home or finding roommates to decrease your overall cost of living. Of course, not everyone can or wants to live at home, and finding roommates can be challenging, so definitely tailor that advice to your own needs and experiences. While living at home for a year, I was able to grow my savings while searching for a full-time job, and that put me in a better place to move out with financial stability. I would also recommend keeping an open mind about various post-graduate paths and opportunities. You might not find exactly what you are looking for right away, but life is long! You will figure it out with time. My last piece of advice is to dedicate time to your hobbies. I lost sight of my hobbies during my education, and I have loved exploring my interests outside of education after graduating.
In hearing from Leena, Shavonnye, and Leah, it’s clear that there are many options for the first year after graduation; what you end up doing immediately after graduation doesn’t have to be what you thought you would be doing, nor does it have to be what you do for the rest of your life. For additional insights on life after graduation, check out these Katie Career Virtual Center blog posts on interviewing, salary expectations, job searches, and beyond.
