The following blog post was written by peer advisor Eva Martin, a senior in the Elliott School studying International Affairs. You can learn more about Eva here.
Graduating from high school was probably one of the happiest moments of my life – I’ve never really been one for posterity and nostalgia. So the prospect of graduating from GW in three and a half years instead of four was dazzling – I could save some money for grad school, I could enter the workforce earlier and start saving for adult things, I could travel. But in many ways, it felt like a failure. Was it normal that I didn’t want an extra semester of ~college~? Was I shortchanging myself by turning down the opportunity to take a whole semester of electives while simultaneously putting off the inevitable responsibilities of adult life? What if I don’t find a job? What if no one is hiring for entry-level positions in January? What if I end up doing something I hate because it was my only option? The what ifs are somewhat out-burning the dazzle.
In the end, it is my family whose stories have helped me come to terms with my uncertain future. My dear mother, who went to school for art and came out as a teacher, who took time off after graduating and worked in a gift shop before returning for her master’s in education. She worked as an educator – both as a teacher and as an administrator – for decades, touching the lives of thousands of parents, teachers, and of course, children. She too, was once uncertain of what was next. My dear father, who was drafted out of graduate school to serve in the military, who drifted through the Middle East before getting a PhD in classical languages, and then returned to the States to get a degree in library science. He worked for the Library of Congress for 30 years, working on the research floor, as a loaner to the House Appropriations Committee, who learned HTML before it was cool and went on to contract for the White House and Lockheed Martin, who this week leaves for France to augment his half-dozen certifications in wine (also to drink said wine). My father too took a circuitous path through the many fields that he loved. My dear fiancée, whose plan it was to serve in the active military, who was impacted by the decrease in defense spending and is now serving our country through Teach for America and the DC National Guard. His worst subject was always math, and now he teaches math to 7th graders who are categorized as having special education needs, treating them with the same respect that he was trained to give to his soldiers. His plan was interrupted by things outside his control, and so he returned to his own 7th grade dream – that of teaching.
Graduating early is scary. But graduating any time is scary too. There is so much pressure to succeed immediately, to find your niche, to contribute to society (and contribute to your alma mater). Graduating early just means that pressure comes sooner, and can be a bit more lonely, since there aren’t as many others feeling the stress alongside you. But I have found solace in the paths of my loved ones, who weren’t by any means straight to success, but have been rich and full of experience, stories, and connection with other humans. I think that is what I will strive for as my search for the next thing intensifies, as I flip flop between industries and position types and graduate school options – knowing my path probably won’t be straight, but trying to take joy from each step along the way.
Rich paths that are “full of experience, stories, and connection with other humans” — what a great message! I think it’s so important to recognize that pressure to succeed immediately for what it is — pressure, sometimes self-inflicted. Thanks for this post!