Alumni offer advice, encourage students to prepare for alternate career paths


On the day she graduated, Kimberly Stahl was excited about the opportunities life held for her.

“I was really excited at the moment,” Stahl said. “ I’m going to hit the real world. It’s going to be great. I’m going to get a dog, have my own Wi-Fi and Netflix—and all of these great expectations—and I’m not saying that they didn’t pan out, I’m just saying that it’s not happening as quick as I thought it would.”

Alumnae Stahl, Alexandra Middlewood and Erin Brown all graduated last May, but they have led very different lives since then. 

Stahl has held temporary jobs since graduation, and they fit well with her major. But now, she is living back home in Saginaw with her parents and working as a cashier in a retail store until she can leave and find a job out of state.

“I think the biggest fear was not being able to find a permanent position in time to start paying off my student loans,” Stahl said. “On top of that, I never wanted to be the graduate that returned home and lives with her parents, but I mean with the economy, it’s not uncommon.”

Stahl wants to encourage December graduates to kick back and enjoy their time with friends while they can, and remember everything has a purpose in life. She also said some of her biggest successes in the job market came from being confident and putting herself out there.

Brown, in Saginaw, is living back home with her parents as well. She is using her degree to work as a sales rep for Griffin Beverages, but someday she might like to be a purchaser instead.

“It’s not exactly what I planned on doing, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction,” Brown said. “I want to work in beverage distribution."

Brown’s advice to December graduates is not to stress about finding a job or joining the working world, but instead enjoy the moment and do not allow mistakes to ruin friendships.

“You have to kind of enjoy everything because once you get there it's hard work,” Brown said. “There’s still a lot of things to look forward to beyond college.”

Middlewood, from Columbiaville, is currently going to graduate school in Arkansas. She attributes part of her success in graduate school to professors who helped her along the way. Having mentors really helped Middlewood pursue her goals, and she said if you graduate without those connections, you miss out on something really special in the college experience.

Middlewood’s advice to December graduates is to actively seek out what makes them afraid and face it head-on.

“It seems like you are in a really scary place in your life right now, but don’t let that fear stop you from getting what you want,” Middlewood said. “If there is something that you want, go for it, because the only thing that you are going to regret at the end of the day is not trying.”

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