by Stephanie Cook '12 of Alpharetta, Ga.
Every individual in the senior class has constantly been asked this school year about their plans post-graduation from Catawba. Since it is less than a month until the big day, many of us have our answers now. I have picked five different outstanding individuals to highlight based on what they will be doing after they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. Their plans are all different and unique, showing that people take many different paths within their lives and have different, exciting experiences to embark upon once they venture into "the real world."
Toni Crough, a Music Business major from Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, will be moving across the country to Los Angeles, California. She plans to pursue her love for music and drum for any band that she can. She has family in the area, which she says "is nice because they can help me until I land on my feet!" While she is searching for bands to play for, Toni will also be interning for a talent agency or a media group. "I am so excited to apply my experiences that I have had here at Catawba and apply them in the real world," she tells The Pioneer.
Charlotte native and Theatre Arts major Mackenzie Westbrook will be leaving on May 16th to travel through the Caribbean on the Disney Fantasy, the company's newest and largest cruise ship. She will be employed as a youth activities counselor on board, helping plan activities for kids ages 3 to 18 and taking the youth on shore-side excursions. She will be seaside until September 29th, where she will then figure out her next move.
Sarah Matulis, a Business Administration major from Berlin, Connecticut, is unsure of what her plans are exactly. She has a few options to consider, which include moving to Scarborough, Maine to work with Delhaize, a company she quotes as "the northern version of Food Lion," or to venture back home to work at Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park to be a lifeguard, a job she has worked for a few summers. Even though she has two job options, Sarah says she wishes she could have some time to herself before she starts work. "In a weird way, I'm hoping to stay unemployed, probably one of the few who will admit to this, so I can take some time and go backpack Europe. It's been a goal of mine for awhile now and if I have a real adult job, there will be no chance for me to experience the journey," she says. She is definitely right – it is very difficult to take a lot of time off once you land a full-time or even a part-time job. It is a smart idea to get an adventure like that in before you commit to working.
While planning his upcoming April 2013 wedding, Mt. Pleasant native Joshua Owens is also working in the Catawba Admissions Office, helping cover for a staff member who is out on maternity leave. He says he is "very grateful for this opportunity." He is unsure what his plans are when the counselor returns, but is staying busy helping recruit new students to Salisbury to become part of the Catawba College family.
Currently Executive President of the Student Government Association, Yakir Malul plans on staying in North Carolina this summer. He hopes to find an internship in accounting before he starts his master's program in the same subject at North Carolina State University in the fall. Yakir says he is "ready for the new adventures and opportunities" that will be available at graduate school, but plans on coming back to Catawba to visit with friends, his former swim coach, and various professors.
Good luck to all the graduating seniors this year with their future endeavours!
; Cook will begin pursuing her master's degree at High Point University this summer. She plans to earn a M.A. in Strategic Communication and is seeking part-time employment while completing her graduate coursework. ;
RELATED CONTENT:
