“W
Kelsea plans on becoming a secondary social studies teacher. Right now she is student teaching and will be searching for jobs in the Ypsilanti or Detroit area post graduation. If she doesn’t get a position right away, she plans on substituting until a position opens up.
“I
t seems impossible to me that my college career is almost over. As I have entered into my final semester of student teaching in a high school
classroom, I am already being hit with the reality that the “real world” is not waking up at 10 a.m., staying awake until 3 a.m., and hanging out with friends every spare second of the day. Instead, life aſter graduation means waking up at 5 a.m., going to bed at 10 p.m., and experiencing a certain degree of loneliness as your best friends begin heading in separate directions aſter graduation. Aſter April, I have no more schedules, plans or set
agendas. I do not know if I will be living in Michigan, living on the other side of the country or living with unemployment. Tere is a degree of uncertainty that accompanies graduation that can be paralyzing. Yet, at the same time, graduation from college mean endless possibilities, a chance to demonstrate how much I have grown and learned over the past four years, new friendships, marriage, and unexpected experiences. As I prepare for graduation, there are days when I feel degrees of each of these emotions, and it is not always easy to cope with the reality that something incredible is coming to an end. Yet, in the midst of it all, I will continue moving forward, because graduation is not just the end, but it is also the beginning of everything I have been preparing for.”
—Kelsea Chaplin, Secondary Education Social Studies major, History minor
Matthew will be working as an associate at a non-profit focusing on voter participation in Brooklyn, NY after graduating this April. His ultimate goal is to practice law in the areas of consumer protection and finance.
of the answers to every question that may arise but the drive to welcome the uncertainty of tomorrow in pursuit of knowledge none the less. Finally, I’m awash with optimism; as I will be a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and that no mater the obstacle, I’m equipped to succeed… and for that alone I can’t be more grateful.”
—R. Mathew Norfleet, Student Body President, Political Science major, Public Law and Government minor
ith April 28 quickly approaching, I find myself optimistic about entering the next phase of my career. My collegiate years have
prepared me for the never-ending challenges that are guaranteed to arise throughout life. When the scene of crossing that stage plays in my mind, three words that encapsulate that moment cross my mind: honor, curiosity and optimism. Honor in that I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to a community, a people, an institution that have collectively altered the way in which I process information, build meaningful relationships and most importantly, maintain meaning in the giſt of being a resource for others. Curiosity in accepting that I do not and never will possess all
Eastern | SPRING 2013 25
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