Category — Education

This originally appeared in today’s edition of MTSU Sidelines:

In just a few short weeks, many of you will complete your undergraduate education and begin a new journey.

Some of you will go on to graduate school to earn your master’s degree, doctorate, or other advanced degree, but many others of you will enter the “real world” and find employment – hopefully in your field of study. Though don’t be surprised if it isn’t.

This column is for those of you who are joining the workforce. With recent college graduate unemployment higher than the national average, and salary offers the lowest they’ve been in years, there is some practical advice that I, a fellow recent college graduate, can give you.

First and most importantly, be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Step outside your comfort zone. Do something you didn’t think you would do.

Just a few weeks before graduating in 2009, my entire world changed. I originally planned to go to law school – the U.S. has too many lawyers – and I instead took an offer in Washington, D.C.

Just six months before graduation, I said I would never move to D.C. for any reason. Boy, was I wrong. And just a few weeks after I walked across the stage and received my diploma, I packed all my belongings, fled my comfort zone, and moved away.

You should be willing to step outside your comfort zone and do something different. My decision to move completely changed my life – for the better.

Secondly, understand that it’s not what you know – it’s who you know. It sounds cliché, but every meaningful connection I’ve made since graduation has provided an opportunity.

You should find mentors, who can teach you more about your professional career; peers, who can provide you a network of support; and “up-and-comers,” who you will mentor and provide with opportunities.

There are people in my profession I look to for support: consultants, elected officials and others who have been in my business a long time. We go to lunch, have coffee and talk about what we do. These mentors have provided each new opportunity I seized.

Then, there are my peers: others in my profession and related fields with whom I connect. They may have different employers, but our professions and interests are similar. They keep me grounded and allow me to stay informed about what’s going on in my field.

The “up-and-comers” are people who are new to my line of work or are looking to break into this market.

With my experience and expansive network, I can provide them opportunities in the future.

A healthy line of credit is established when I provide an “up-and-comer” with an opportunity. Without keeping a serious count, you should understand that having someone owe you something is a good thing.

Lastly, read. Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty,by Harvey Mackay, and It’s Your Ship,by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff, are two books on professional development I recommend.

Find books that interest you, as well as books that can help you better yourself. It’s an investment that will pay dividends throughout your career.

Taking my advice will be to your benefit. No one says the real world is easy – and it’s certainly not – but there are ways to lighten the load.

Good luck and congratulations.

I know I am a little late to the resolution, but here it is:

Alexandra Wallace, the southern California undergraduate who apologized for her recent YouTube rant about the “hordes of Asian people that UCLA accepts into our school every single year,” said Friday that she will no longer be attending classes at UCLA.

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This commentary appeared in today’s edition of the MTSU Sidelines:

The recent fatal stabbing of basketball player Tina Stewart near campus is causing investigators and attorneys to scratch their heads about what happened on the night of March 2 at Raiders Crossing Apartments, where the roommates lived.

No doubt the incident is tragic, and I sympathize and mourn the loss with the Murfreesboro community and Stewart’s friends, family and the Lady Raiders, who were like family to the promising young athlete.

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I think it is very important for me to first say: Death is a tragic event, no matter how it happens, and particularly to someone who seemingly had her whole life ahead of her. That being said, we must approach the death of MTSU basketball player Tina Stewart from the perspective of our justice system, which will sort out fact from emotion to discover what actually happened on the night of March 2nd.

Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook have come a long way, since they burst onto the scene in the mid-2000s. They’ve brought old friends together, toppled tyrannical governments, and even perhaps offered insight into a murder case that hits close to home at MTSU.

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