Seniors are sad, excited, and anxious to graduate, but what is waiting for them in their future? The class of 2012 has a variety of plans for post-graduation, whether they are attending graduate school, starting a job, are currently searching for a job, or are just taking a year off to relax or work.
Graduate school is a popular option for many seniors this year both in this area and farther away.
English major Megan Franey will be attending graduate school at Towson University to study professional writing.
Sociology and Criminal Justice major Ryan Byrnes will be attending the New England School of Law in the fall. Also during the fall, Edward Ezekiel will be attending Emory Law School in Atlanta.
Exercise Science and Physical Education major Steve French will be returning to McDaniel for graduate school to pursue his master’s degree in the B.E.S.T. program.
French says “Graduation is an exciting time, I feel like it was just yesterday that I graduated from high school right here in Gill, just like I will be again in about a month or so. It is a little intimidating but definitely something that I am looking forward to.”
Political Science major Ashley Day will be both working and going to graduate school. She will be teaching Social Studies at Saint Ignatius Loyola Academy, which is an all-boys Jesuit middle school in downtown Baltimore.
English Major Alexandra “Sasha” Crum is looking to hear back from Arcadia University to further her ultimate goal of being an editor, as well as Loyola University and the University of South Carolina, where she would pursue studies in economics for graduate school. Thus far, she has a temporary political internship lined up for the summer. However, what she is most looking forward to after graduation is having time to relax.
Crum says, “My sister and I have made a pact to spend ridiculous quantities of time catching up on shows on Netflix. My summer will also involve a lot of sleep. Beautiful, beautiful sleep. The third segment of my time will be spent determinedly chipping away at my never-ending, constantly-expanding novel list.”
Other students will be beginning internships or full time-jobs. Communication major John Gamble is looking for a summer internship in marketing and Communication major Kendal Ford plans to start working in the television field, hopefully as a news reporter or related position.
Ford looks forward to joining the work-force and says, “I look forward to not attending class every day and getting paid for my hard work!”
Exercise Science and Physical Education major John Dunford reacts to plans for post-graduation and says, “I most look forward to the challenge of being on my own and having to start a new life while also supporting myself.” Dunford plans on joining the police force.
Psychology major and Elementary Education minor Claire Maisel is looking for a teaching job and looks forward to having her own classroom and starting her career as a teacher.
Other students such as English major Brooke Hain will be taking a year off. She will be tutoring for the DC Success Program and then looking for jobs and graduate schools and explains, “I ultimately decided that taking a year off was what was best for me. I’ll be looking at grad programs for Rhetoric and Composition or Public Relations.”
Communication major Kwei Maduot is also taking a year off before graduate school to work. She is seeking a job in different fields and currently has an internship that could turn into a job.
Other students are looking to enter the service. Political Science and International Studies major Matthew Joseph Berube is deciding between the Air Force and the Army. His ultimate goal is to become a pilot.
Also, Sociology major Jason Grant Sr. will be commissioning as a 2LT in the Maryland National Guard and will be going to San Antonio, Texas for BOLC II. He plans on getting a job with the NSA as an intelligent analysis. Aside from a career, Grant says “I’m looking forward to watching my son get bigger, experiencing the married life, and enjoying time with family.
Despite graduation being intimidating and seniors having various plans for post-graduation, most seniors have one main goal and agree with Maduot who says, “I am looking forward to being in the real world and having a job that I can be successful at.”
No matter the plans, seniors have a lot waiting for them upon graduation.
