With graduation drawing near, the senior class of Saint Augustine’s University is looking ahead toward their future plans once their final chapter of their undergraduate studies is closed. The commencement ceremony – scheduled to be held on the University Quadrangle on Saturday, May 13th, 2017 at 9 a.m. – symbolizes a passing of the torch between the existing alumni class and the new wave of graduating scholars that will carry on the legacy of Saint Augustine’s.
The university does not send students out into the working world without help or guidance. Dr. Cindy Love, as director of the Career Development Office, leads the effort to prepare students for life beyond the Falcon’s Nest. Dr. Love has provided goal-oriented, career insight such as workshops and resume tips.
Interviews with graduating seniors indicate that they will take a variety of paths after graduation. Leah Waldo, an English major, has to finish up her studies during the summer sessions and plans to continue her education after that. “I plan to go to ECU in the fall to study rhetoric and composition,” Waldo states. “The ultimate goal is to eventually teach English on the collegiate level at an HBCU. Maybe even SAU.”
Graduate studies continue to prove be a popular plan among students, such as Amber Hagin, a graduating senior majoring in journalism and mass communications. “I plan on going to either Stevenson University, Trinity Washington University, Morgan State University, or American University for strategic communication or journalism,” Hagin said.
She finished up her degree requirements in December so Hagin already has entered the working world. “I’m an extended day teacher at Apple Tree Institute so I plan on continuing with that until I get a job in my field and start school this fall,” she said.
As the senior class looks towards the future, the faculty and staff of Saint Augustine’s University are doing just the same. The school requires graduating seniors to attend a senior exit loan counseling and financial literacy session. Recognizing the importance of remaining in all-around good financial standing when it comes to becoming an alumnus, the school values the principles in which the campus was founded on: transform, excel, and lead.
