2008 Woodie Awards
Early graduates reflect and plan for life after Drew
Laura Cloak
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: News
| |
| |
| |
|
Graduating early is an alternative many students might not think about during their first year or two in college. However, it can be an option for especially ambitious students who are anxious to get started on their post-Drew plans.
For John Almanzar ('08), the idea of graduating early just fell into place. Last spring, while making plans for the fall semester, he realized that an extra class could let him graduate a whole semester early. Five upper-level classes are keeping him busy this last semester. As Almanzar put it, "There is no time to procrastinate!"
Sarah Maple ('08) is another senior who has also been very busy this -her last - semester.
For Maple, the decision to graduate early also fell into place last spring. A religious studies major and ethics minor, she is taking the equivalent of six courses this semester, two of which are independent studies. She strongly recommends independent studies for all students, since they allow you to tailor your courses to what will be most beneficial. For Maple, they have allowed her to give extra focus to areas she is planning on pursuing this January, when she will begin a two-year master's program at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family Studies on Catholic University's campus.
The recent economic crisis has not greatly affected the plans of some seniors graduating early, at least not yet. David Hoyos, an economics major, originally planned to graduate in three years. He decided to return for a final semester to complete an honor's thesis. The economic situation made him rethink his decision to graduate early, but has not changed his plans. Hoyos is currently looking for a job, which he hopes will give him the experience he needs to apply to business school. Almanzar is working on applications for law school, which he hopes to attend next fall, and is planning to find a job close to home that can give him some legal experience until then.
Until this past Monday, the economic situation and the result it has had on jobs in the financial sector was making economics major Alex Degernes quite nervous. Then the asset management company in Philadelphia where he interned this past summer called to offer Degernes a job as a compliance officer, which he readily accepted. With the relief of knowing what he will be doing this spring, the excitement of completing his undergraduate career is finally sinking in. While working, Degernes plans to become a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst), which he will accomplish in three years.
Carol Gates, a graduation/records specialist in the Registrar's office, has been at Drew for 28 years. During her time here, she said the option to graduate early has definitely become more popular in recent years. Economically, it can make sense; both Almanzar and Maple were glad to save a semester's worth of Drew tuition.
It is the people and atmosphere of the Drew campus that the seniors said they would miss most in not having a last spring on Drew's daffodil-covered campus. Besides the daffodils, Maple will miss her family in Spirituality House, where she has lived for the past three years. Degernes summed it up by saying he would "miss everything you'd think of about the second semester of your senior year," but hopes to come back on weekends. The sense of community that is so important to Drew seems to have made a lasting impression on these seniors; the "amazing people and the constant socializing" that make Drew so refreshing will be most missed by Almanzar.
Reflecting back on their last semester, the seniors graduating in less than a month suggested a balance of fun and seriousness for those who will be joining them as Drew alumni in the spring. "Don't be afraid to try anything and everything, even if it means taking five classes," Almanzar advised. "Have fun," Hoyos recommended, adding, "start applying for jobs early."
Be the first to comment on this story