Pioneer LogLewis & Clark College’s Student-Run Newspaper

Successful seniors share their plans and some advice

April 30, 2010

Maria Morrisson:

What are you doing after college?After college, I’m moving to Taiwan as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant.

I’ll be teaching English to elementary school students in Yilan, a beach town an hour outside of Taipei.

What do you think helped you to get that job? 

My experience working with kids is definitely what helped me to get accepted to the Fulbright ETA program.  

My advice to underclassmen thinking of applying is to take advantage of all the great opportunities there are to work or volunteer with Portland-area youth.

How does it feel to finally be graduating?

 It feels SOOO GREAT!!!

David Shackelford:

What are you doing after college? 

Teach for America, teaching 7-12 grade math in the Bay Area.

What advice do you have for underclassmen?

When you break all the costs of college down, you’re paying $200-$300 a class period. Still feel like taking filler courses or skipping class? Pick professors that inspire you, engage with the work, and get your money’s worth. As far as getting jobs goes, a high GPA is less important than real achievement. Pick something you love, take on responsibility, execute, and don’t be afraid to brag about it when you’re applying to jobs.

How does it feel to finally be graduating?

I’m ready to get out of this bubble. The hill is fun for a couple years, but it gets small fast.

 

Liz Holliday:

What are you doing after college?

I plan on taking the summer to work and relax. In the fall I will be moving to
the UK to attend City University London’s International Journalism
M.A. program. The program has a broadcasting focus, newly renovated TV studios,
hooks me up with a sweet international broadcasting internship, and is
basically my dream.

What do you think helped you to get that acceptance?

 I think my involvement with school activities and my two summer internships
with a local news station really helped to sell my application. I had to send
in a video portfolio of my previous broadcasting work too, something I could
have never done without my internships at KSAT-12 News. Also I think my sassy
southern charm didn’t hurt either.

What advice do you have for underclassmen?

Underclassmen,
I know college is a great time to balance school with binge drinking, but be
sure to get in those activities and internships too. Internships give you real
world experience and help you decide what exactly you want to do when you leave
here. School activities help you convince the real world that you care about
other things besides your major and social life. It might not seem important
now, but your future selves will thank you.

How does it feel to finally be graduating?

It feels like it’s about damn time. I’ve loved my four years at Lewis & Clark,
but I’ve learned what I’ve come here to learn. It’s time to move on to the next
chapter. Let’s get this ball rolling, I’m ready.

 

Claire Rogers:

What are you doing after college?

I’m joining Teach for America. I’ll be teaching secondary level (middle school or high school) math in Washington, D.C. for two years.

 

What do you think helped you to get that acceptance?

Ending cyclical poverty is something I feel passionately about. I think it’s the key to a lot of domestic policy problems (I was an economics public policy major), and I think my passion for the issue combined with my analytical approach to a solution convinced them I would be a good person to have on the team. While on the LC Washington, D.C. program, I interned at a think tank and happened to work on a project involving education and poverty. Also, I was part of the Phonathon student management, which showed I could lead a group of students. It just worked out that the extra-curricular things I enjoyed doing during school turned out to be great experience for the job I wanted, which is why I would recommend that students just throw themselves into whatever interests them and brings them joy.

 
What advice do you have for underclassmen?

Experience is more important than grades. I know this is true for getting a job after graduation, and I have a feeling it is probably true for life in general. If you have the choice between studying 8 hours a night and interning for a few hours a week, take the internship. If you have the choice between taking “Sound and Sense” and taking a class where you might get a C that will challenge the way you see the world and expose you to ideas that make your passion flare, take the C. Finally, you can sneak Tupperware into the Bon in a big purse-I can’t believe I didn’t think of this until senior year.

 

How does it feel to finally be graduating?

 It’s definitely bittersweet to be graduating. Mostly I feel gratitude to all the friends, professors, bosses, co-workers and directors who have made my time here so meaningful. I have so many amazing friends here and we’ve gotten to take part in so many awesome things. It isn’t easy to leave behind, but I couldn’t be more excited about where I’m going next.