For many college seniors, graduation is around the corner and various different paths are in the works as many prepare for a transition into a new part of life. Some turn back to college while others plan to start their careers.
"I can't wait to start over and meet new people," said Ashley Turner, a communication major at the University at Buffalo. Turner will be returning to college as a graduate student at the University at Central Florida. She wants to get a master's degree and her M.B.A in Sports Business Management. Even though Turner will continue to be a student, she will miss her friends in Buffalo.
"I am going to miss being an athlete. You have that safety- net of a team and it's going to be weird not playing soccer anymore," she said.Turner played on UB's soccer team as an outside midfielder during her four years at the university.
Unlike Turner, senior Jessica Laney is going to jump right into the work force with hopes to return to school in the near future. "I want to work with children," Laney said, "and I'm hoping to get a position at Lifetime Assistance once I've graduated." Laney will graduate with a bachelor's degree in Health and Human Services with a concentration in childhood development. But, before she goes back to graduate school to get a master's degree in Behavioral Psychology, Laney wants to work.
"I want to get a job right away, save some money and get a place of my own," she said. "I'm looking forward to seeing what the real world is like and I'll be making money. And, I can't think of a more rewarding career than working with children...I've done it my whole life."
Although Turner and Laney will receive degrees in different fields, friends Charles Hashem, Constantine Kapatos and Anthony Full will all receive bachelor's degrees in Electrical Engineering. In addition, each will also continue to stay in the field of Engineering. "Right now I'm working for Cannon Design and I will continue to do so while I'm in graduate school," Hashem said. Hashem will continue to be a UB student while he works toward his master's degree in Electrical Engineering. Hashem ultimately wants to work for the Boeing Space Exploration Program, hoping to make a contribution to space development. For Kapatos and Full, their futures are heading down the same road, both receiving jobs at Harris RF Communication in Rochester. With these new jobs come new ideas to further their careers.
"I want to get my M.B.A.," Kapatos said, "then I will be able to eventually move from engineering to management." Kapatos will be working as a test engineer for the company. Full, who has a position as a systems engineer, also wants to return to school eventually and hopes to attend the University of Rochester.
"It might be hard to get into but that's where I want to go," he said, "It's one of the top grad schools for M.B.As in the country."
Even though most of these students have headed down different roads, all feel that the future looks bright for them. "I can't wait to get my first paycheck," Kapatos said. "It shows me that four years of hard work have paid off."