Post-graduation plans take over students’ minds, professors excited that school is out for summer

Every year Mercer students and faculty have a set of post-graduation plans. This year, while graduating students are leaving after their four years here, a few teachers are also taking sabbaticals.
Senior Rachel Velie plans to relax this summer before continuing her education.
“I plan to take the summer to regain my sanity and then go to grad school to become a CPA, which is a Certified Personal Accountant. I can do your taxes one day!” Velie said.
Senior Charles Peterson has big plans that changed from his original idea. He plans to travel abroad to teach.

“My decision to go abroad was started by my experiences studying in Oxford, England. Upon starting my senior year, my friend encouraged me to apply for the Fulbright scholarship. I was rejected at the national level, but I had already decided upon Thailand, so transferring to Mercer’s Service First program was a natural step,” Peterson said. “I chose Thailand because I am interested in the role of myths and story within national culture. Thailand is a country still in touch with its oral heritage, and I am interested in how a Hindu myth, the Ramayana, influences many of the national stories and a Buddhist culture. If I attend a graduate program after my time in Thailand, I hope to study cross-cultural myth, possibly through comparative literature. Also, I chose to teach based upon my experiences tutoring at L.H. Williams Elementary in Macon. Foremost, I wanted to have a period of time before continuing school in which I was being active in a community setting and using my skills to help promote better cross-cultural understanding.”

Kashfia Khan joked about summer plans.

“Well, I wanted to be a billionaire right after graduation, but reality seems to be so different. So I am going for plan B: Go to grad school at Mercer in Atlanta. Maybe the bigger city can help me be super rich,” Khan said.

Kara Brown has been applying for teaching jobs, but has not heard back yet.

This summer, Jane Frances Abel wants to be an elementary school music teacher in addition to getting a puppy.

Senior Jaclyn Crumbley plans to attend graduate school after taking a little break.

“I’m going to do something for the next school year then grad school after that. I have very well defined plans, as you can see. Yet that’s what’s scary about them. You’re so free, you can do anything you want, so you don’t know what to do,” Crumbley said.

Candace Henderson already has a job lined up after graduation.

“I have a job at Warner Robins High School in Warner Robins. I will be teaching Biology. After a year or so, I plan on getting my master’s,” Henderson said.

Senior Jennifer Smith hopes to break into the publishing industry, but first she wants to relax in the summer and catch up on everything she had to leave behind during her studies.

“If all goes well, after graduation I hope to get a job in the publishing industry, where I can help people perfect their writing while also working on my own. In the meantime, though, I’ll spend my newfound free time meeting some of the goals and doing some of the fun things I’ve been putting off, like catching up on movies, videogames and anime, and maybe learning a new language or two,” Smith said.

Dr. Anya Silver will be going on sabbatical in the fall. She plan to use the time to finish her second book of poetry.

“Although I will miss my students, it’s wonderful to have a semester to recharge my batteries and devote myself to research and writing. My major project will be to finish my second poetry book manuscript and submit it to my publisher. I will also be planning a new English course on young adult literature. I will be immersing myself in young adult literature and criticism so that I can teach the course in the spring.”