As I prepare to schedule for the classes I will be taking for my first semester of my senior year, I have grown slightly nostalgic reflecting on my past three years at Gannon.
When I entered the school in the fall of 2015, I had dreams of achieving my degree in the 3+3 physical therapy program and one day pursuing a career in sports medicine.
If you know me well, you might be super confused by this. I have way too many opinions to work a job where I have to speak neutrally with people and avoid conversing about politics or religion on the daily.
Through the connections and opportunities I have had at our small school on Lake Erie, I have discovered what I am passionate about and also grown confident in my abilities to pursue what excites me, even if the career prospects aren’t as clear as in my original major.
On Monday, I learned I was placed in Charlotte, N.C., to complete my two-year Teach for America placement starting in May 2019.
If you would have told me I’d be spending the first few years after receiving my bachelor’s degree working in an underserved school district while I take time off school to consider my next steps, I probably would have laughed and cringed.
I’m pretty sure I’ve had a 10-year plan since the day I exited the womb, and I certainly didn’t see this coming.
Nevertheless, I’m excited to see where the next few years take me.
Something else that happened unexpectedly in these past few months is that the New York Times invited a representative from The Knight staff to attend a conference they are hosting for student newspaper editors in April.
I’m incredibly lucky that I will be attending this conference in order to learn more about working as a journalist on and off campus, maybe even as a future profession.
Working for The Knight this year has taught me a lot about myself, and I truly love the work I am able to do, the stories I am able to write and the connections I am able to make with faculty, staff and students through interviews.
I never saw myself pursuing a career in journalism, but this past year has definitely put it on my radar.
In life, many unexpected things will happen to us. That’s been a theme on campus these past few weeks amidst the news of recent restructuring.
Something I have learned at Gannon is that sometimes we must be prepared for the unexpected, whether that be in our personal or professional lives.
For the first time, I’m truly feeling comfortable with not having a 10-year plan.
The truth is that I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life — whether I want to attend law school, graduate school or just enter the workforce — and that is OK.
Although it is hard and the road ahead of me is unclear and uncharted, I have faith that everything will work out in the end.
And even if it doesn’t, I’m determined to have fun during the journey.

KATE ROBB
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