It’s pretty safe to say that members of the senior class of 2020 at any level of education are struggling with the fact they weren’t given proper time to prepare for their next steps post-graduation. 

Whether deciding to go to college, pursuing a masters or doctorate degree or applying for a job in your desired field, a little extra time to plan our next moves would have been greatly appreciated. 

I would have loved to spend two more months at my internship with the Rutland Herald, continuing to perfect my craft of writing passionately and connecting with an audience. This would have provided me with more articles to use as an example of what I bring to the table as a reporter, writer and storyteller. 

I quickly realized some of the things I took for granted on a daily basis, like missing out on face-to-face interaction with my professors where I would soak in their advice and knowledge on how to better myself in and outside of the workplace. 

I, along with so many of my fellow graduates have a strong fear of falling into a rut, plateauing one might say.

Not progressing in a steady upward direction to achieve the goals we’ve set out for ourselves is a trembling thought considering everything we’ve been through respectively to this point.  

With the looming thoughts of student loans, unemployment and uncertainty creeping over the heads of millions of people across the globe, it’s completely understandable to be stressed out as we face the next endeavor. 

However, I’m a firm believer in making the most of the opportunity at hand, and putting a positive twist on depressing, deflating news. 

So why not apply for a position of interest in a state across the country? 

I just applied for reporter positions in Idaho and Arkansas just for the thrill of excitement and possibilities going forward. 

Why not take a leap of faith towards the goals I’ve had since I was 5-years-old? 

WHY NOT? 

Now more than ever, this attitude of “why not?” has become prevalent among those who are caught at a crossroads in their lives of where to go next. 

And for those with these thoughts, I say this: Remember who you are and what you are truly capable of.  

Remember what’s your driving source of inspiration. 

Remember where it is you told yourself you’d be one day. 

Sometimes, landing an unforeseen role or accepting a position you didn’t originally vision can be a launching point towards getting to where you want to be.  

Getting off the smoothly paved, but clustered highway and taking the bumpy, unknown backroads on your own can ultimately lead you to your destination.