I’ve watched my older friends don the traditional regalia, diploma in hand, smiling as they pose for photographs capturing the day they worked for after 3, 4, 5, or more years. I never imagined my own 5-year college experience would end so quickly. My friends, gorgeous and handsome in those photos capturing their momentous accomplishment and their own transitions also over time showed me how post-grad, although rightly celebrated, is not always what it seems. What happens after the robe and cords come off, and Monday rolls around? What about when there is no class to attend, no online Zoom to log onto, and you’ve moved away from friends and environments that have been familiar for so many years? The “normal” becomes completely new and many are forced into feeling a little lost. Change is inevitable, but as I am now about to dawn those robes myself and take those photos, I understand that the hard part about post-grad isn’t really the change at all, more so, the waiting game. 

If you had asked me what my post-graduation plans were five months ago, they would look very different than what they do now. I was planning on starting a co-op at a large corporate company and could see myself working there full-time after graduation. However, the past few months' crazinesses made me realize that there may be more to my professional story. I have spent the last few months at the Jersey Shore wondering what would be next for me. When I heard a local interior designer that had worked with my parents was starting her own business, I saw my chance.