BGSU public relations major applauds her fellow seniors

Meredith Troxel to Class of 2020: ‘Congratulations, you will always be a Falcon!'

By Meredith Troxel

The announcement of remote learning continuing for the rest of the spring semester came with many questions and a lot of uncertainty.

Students, organizations and Faculty and Staff at Bowling Green State University had to quickly put everything on hold and re-evaluate the semester. Students left campus without realizing that they might not have the opportunity to see their friends again until fall. Many groups were affected, including those students graduating in May.

Seniors were especially flooded with thoughts. How will I finish student teaching or clinicals? How will I finish my required lab course? How will I finish my internship? Will commencement be canceled? Thanks to the hard work from Faculty and Staff, their questions were answered quickly and with empathy. A big “thank you” is owed to BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers and the rest of the University, as we likely will still be able to celebrate our graduation with a commencement ceremony at a later date.

Being a senior myself, I was also worried about what my future would look like. My one goal for my four years at BGSU was to graduate with a job already lined up. Now, that more than likely will not be happening for me and many others in the May 2020 graduating class.

Although we may not get to finish our internships, finish the last meetings in our campus organizations, have those last moments with our sorority sisters and fraternity brothers, spend late nights hanging out with friends, and spend time with classmates stressing over final projects, we can hope for better days and new opportunities.

Seniors: It is OK to be sad, to grieve lost memories and to be confused on the uncertainty of the months ahead.

One thing is for certain: The economy and job market has taken a hit. Many internships for the summer are being canceled and full-time job searches are being held off until a later date. Personally, many of the jobs I applied for have been canceled due to a lack of money for new hires from budget cuts and time for hiring committees to sit down and conduct interviews. Now, I have no job lined up before graduation, no job prospects, and no plans for the near future. This might not be an ideal situation, but it can be used as a new opportunity.

Now is a great time to look into graduate school. BGSU is temporarily waiving GRE and GMAT scores, as well as application fees. BGSU has many programs on campus and completely online through eCampus, which is ranked nationally by U.S. News & World Report, that allow students to continue working on their program while also working a full-time job.

Update your LinkedIn profile and connect with BGSU alumni who work at a company where you’re interested in working or in a field related to your major. Ask them questions about their experience in their field and advice for looking for that first post-grad job. A connection can even turn into a future internship or job opportunity!

The Career Center is still open and eager to assist students who need help with their resume, are looking for internships and are looking to connect with businesses who are looking for workers. The Career Center is available through phone and video calls, and appointments can be made through Handshake.

BGSU seniors, take pride in what you have given to the University community. Connect with friends and make lasting memories this summer (when we hopefully can be social together again). Seek new opportunities in a time of uncertainty.

Congratulations on graduating and remember, you will always be a Falcon!