Sam Dunaway | News Editor

Now that graduation is right around the corner, everyone that I come into contact with asks the same exact thing — what’s next? And while I used to dread this question, I am starting to come to terms with the fact that there is no right answer.

As a biology major, it sometimes feels as though not striving for a master’s or doctorate degree is a huge mistake. I have a handful of friends leaving soon after graduation and continuing their education, and it often seems like finishing my educational career with an undergraduate degree is the wrong choice.

There are a few people in my life that urge me to stay in Oregon and focus on what’s familiar — notably the place I grew up. And although I know many graduates that feel most comfortable when they’re back where they came from, I’ve always known that I’m not one of those people.

While some of my friends are walking off of the commencement stage with a full-time position with a decent salary plus benefits, I know that this won’t be me either. Internships, seasonal jobs and minimum wage are in my future for the next few years, and I try to remind myself that this doesn’t mean that I’m a failure.

It means that everyone’s path is different. While it’s easy to look around you at commencement and compare yourself to every other graduate, everyone has their own unique path that’s right for them. No, I’m not going to be getting a doctorate anytime soon, I’m not going to have a stable income for a while and I’m not going to land my dream job right away, but that’s okay, because the road that I’m going down is the right one for me.

So, the next time you’re stressed about the right answer to the question ‘what’s next?’, stop and remember — you earned a degree. And the road beyond that degree is distinctly, wonderfully, unmistakably your own.

Contact the author at sedunaway13@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis