by Molly Shoffner
As I enter the spring quarter of what “should” have been my senior year at Western, I find myself amongst many recent or soon-to-be graduates. It’s odd having so many people who have been so crucial to your college experience planning their post-grad lives while you’re still over a year away from your own graduation. You’re left with a nostalgia for the present moment, anticipating its absence before it’s gone, a contemplation over what led you (and the people around you) to this point in your life, and a confrontation with the uncertainty of the future that you’d prefer to disregard as long as possible.
With that uncertainty – my own and of those around me – I’ve been reflecting on “the college experience” and what happens after that, and I wondered what advice Western alumni could give to Western students today. So, I reached out to some alumni and asked them about their transition from Western to where they are today, the lessons they’ve learned along the way, and for whatever advice they might have for current students – whether they’re two weeks or two years from graduation.
“I guess the biggest lesson would be to, like, follow your heart […] I’ve had plenty of time to learn that if I trust myself and trust my gut, or my heart, that’s what gets me to where I need to be, and if I simply rely on my head, I can end up making mistakes.”
“I used to get down on how I maybe messed up in college, with the decisions [I made] or the lack of decisions, but I wouldn’t have ended up where I am without that whole experience. You know what I mean? It’s letting go and know[ing] you’re gonna get there one way or another.”
“[…] Nowadays, with how fast things change, it feels like it’s a lot harder to feel grounded. […] The biggest thing that helped me is finally learning how to ground myself, the things that worked to get me out of my head. […] It’s finding things that can ground you and keep you in the present moment, because it’s a lot. […] So, anything you can do to ground yourself, I support.”
— Paul Arney, graduated in 1994 with a BA in Environmental Geology
After graduating from Western, Paul didn’t want any jobs that directly applied to his degree, so he spent some time working at a coffee shop post-graduation. Eventually, he got into home-brewing and went back to school to take a brewing course. This led him to owning and running a brewery of his own in Bend, Oregon, for over a decade before retiring in 2024.
He said he “did it right the second time,” but in looking back on his time at Western, he wishes he had utilized the resources, programs, and opportunities that Western provides, such as “taking the time to find and meet your counselor, and talk through stuff, and not rush, […] you’ll learn about yourself that way.”
“Regardless of me goofing up, […] I had such a great time in the location and [at] the school. It’s such a special place – I’ve got hopes that my one of my kids might end up going there,” said Paul.
”No one’s life moves in a linear direction. Don’t be afraid to try new things; to reach outside your comfort zone; to completely change your entire trajectory for the future; to apply to jobs you don’t think you qualify for; to gain new skillsets; to use community resources when times are tough. Try to compare yourself to yourself and no one else – none of us have “it” down perfectly, whatever “it” may be. Above all, don’t let anyone make you feel that you messed up your life somehow by choosing differently; there is so much to be gained by putting ourselves out there!”
— Jessica, graduated in 2018 with a BA in Language, Literacy, and Cultural Studies, and an emphasis in Elementary Education
Though she got a degree in education, Jessica realized she didn’t want to be a teacher by the time she reached graduation. Despite this, she felt that she wouldn’t be making the most of the money, effort, and time she put into her degree, so she worked as a substitute teacher and took a job as a tutor until the pandemic hit.
After her tutoring position ended, she decided not to return to teaching, and had to think about other skills she had, which led her to office work. Since then, she has worked various office administration jobs, and has been in her current position since May 2023, and is loving it.
Jessica said, “To this day, I have no desire to return to teaching, and that’s okay!”
”Say yes to anything […] You never know what’s going to happen and you only have one chance to try things. I think it’s really important to do as much as you can and step out of your comfort zone, which is obviously hard to do, and it makes you nervous. It’s not easy, but just, like, just send it. Try new things and meet new people, […] and do what makes you happy.”
“At post grad, every everyone is different. I had a couple friends that, […] when they graduated, they went right into a big job. Which is, like, super great, but that doesn’t happen for everyone, and that didn’t necessarily happen to me. I feel like people tend to compare themselves to that and I would sometimes, compare myself to that, which isn’t necessarily helpful. Everyone’s journey and everyone’s job track is different. […] You don’t need to stick exactly to your major. It takes time, and you don’t need to feel pressure to do something just because other people are doing it or doing things similar to it.”
— Sydney Gaenz, graduated in 2020 with a BA in Business & Sustainability with minors in Economics and Environmental Studies
Because she graduated at the end of the winter quarter in 2020, Sydney said her transition out of college didn’t go anything like she had planned. After moving home due to the pandemic, she lived with her parents and ended up working retail for a few months because she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. When she quit retail in 2021, she took on a job as a production assistant despite not having any prior experience in film.
She was still working in the film industry when she moved to LA in 2024, where she ended up having to go back into retail before taking her current job with an event company she had worked for in the past. Though her career path hasn’t exactly pertained to her degree, she said that certain aspects of it still apply depending on what she’s doing.
Despite moving out of the state, she said she still has a lot of her close friends from Western, which she’s appreciates a lot now that they’ve all moved away from Bellingham. She added, “I am just so thankful that I went to Western, [it’s] one of the best decisions that I’ve made because of the community up there.”
“Do as much as you can while you’re up there [at Western]. There’s so many amazing opportunities up there, so take advantage of that,” said Sydney.
”The last year and a half has taught me a lot about myself and about the world. One thing I learned is that sometimes I will need to choose between a job I like and a life I like. […] People get degrees for many different reasons, and mine was mostly out of passion. I certainly don’t regret it, but if I could, I’d advise my past self to balance my academic interests with practicality.”
— Emily Jung, graduated in 2023 with a BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing
Since Emily has graduated, she said she’s had a “whirlwind career change.” Though she was accepted to two editing and publishing master’s programs, it didn’t make financial sense for her. Instead, she went into marketing as a more lucrative career option than publishing.
“Writing is still my passion though! I regularly review novels for Chanticleer books, and I previously had a side-hustle as a freelance editor,” said Emily.
Despite working in a field she hadn’t planned to go into, staying in Washington has allowed her to move in with her partner of 6 years, adopt a puppy, and live in a two-bedroom townhome.
Emily added that this is “definitely not the path I saw myself on two years ago.”
Growing up, my dad (a Western alum) always told me that I should go to college, that, if it wasn’t for the degree, it would at least be for the experience. I didn’t get what he meant by that until sometime around the beginning of my third year at Western. Having heard what winding paths other alumni have taken through college and to the point they’re at now, I think I now know exactly what he meant by that.
A lot of sh*t happens in college. A lot of sh*t happens in life. For better or worse, it’s what helps you to grow into who you’ll be, and no matter how much you think you have the rest of your life planned out, the degree, the job, the relationship, the timeline, there’s always something that doesn’t go as planned, but maybe that’s how it’s intended.
The responses I received have provided me a lot of reassurance for the future – whatever path that may take. It’s okay if I don’t go into the field I’m studying for, it’s okay if I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, either way, I’m going wherever I’m meant to be and I’ll know my college experience – and those that follow – was the right one for me.
I hope that, by reading this article, you’ve found at least a bit of reassurance in knowing you’re not alone in whatever uncertainty for your future you might be experiencing. No one really knows what they’re doing – and that’s okay!
“I’m Rubin Hochhauser, and I approve this message.”