“What are you doing after college?” The average senior gets asked this about 10 times a day. The answers usually include a slew of ideas, dreams and a little bit of reality, which for many seems much fainter than it actually is. Mix in an economy that isn’t in the best shape and you have stressful questions to try and answer 10 different ways every day. As a leadership major, I get the added perk of the looks of confusion usually followed by the general sentiment of, “You can major in leadership?”

Unless you have an iron clad plan for when you leave, the question becomes more uncomfortable each time. It’s no wonder that graduation holds fears for many since it is filled with uncertainty and doubt.

However, with uncertainty comes unknown opportunities and unprecedented thoughts. So why wouldn’t I be excited? I have been able to personalize my education with professors who are genuinely concerned with my well-being and help me to succeed. I get to walk a beautiful campus devoted to serving the greater good through being an upright global citizen. My awareness of specific and global issues has increased ten-fold due to academic initiatives and student organizations putting on meaningful programming to the student body.

As a past fraternity president, I have seen the Greek community thrive, expand and flourish over these last four years. Being a senator has allowed me to see Associated Students make active differences for students throughout the year, best exemplified by the acknowledged pieces of legislation pertaining to Safe Rides, Zip Cars and a limit to finals. I actively make a difference for students searching for jobs as a Career Peer Educator within the Career Development Center by helping them understand how to sell their best qualities to employers. Helping to head up ExCEL Peer Facilitators, within Student & Campus Life, has also been a unique pleasure since it is one of only a few student training programs looking to better equip students for helping their peers. These are only a few of the countless and diverse experiences I have been able to be a part of in my time here.

What does this all account for, though? Chapman has given me an experience I could have received nowhere else because it wasn’t based on just one thing that I had done.

It was a collection of meaningful ventures that helped me paint my picture of college. That is why I am thankful to Chapman, because I know I have every tool in my arsenal necessary to go out after college and rise to any challenge that comes before me and furthermore demonstrate my abilities and talents successfully.

Knowing this, I smile when I hear the question, “What are you doing after college?” Whatever I want, the sky is my limit.