Laying the groundwork for life, after graduation

It's finally happened. You've taken those final finals, donned a gown and mortarboard, accepted a diploma from a grinning dean.

What now? What wisdom can you pass to others treading that same path toward a degree, to people who are still balancing work and school and family commitments?

We spoke to some new and nearly new graduates to learn their thoughts on key things they did that positioned them for a more fulfilling academic career and helped them move forward into a successful post-graduation life.

• Deal with debt.

"Along with my degree, I had several student loans," said Pearl-Grace Rasmussen Pantaleone, a TV news journalist who graduated in 2014. "I felt shame in even having to receive them, but I learned that without them I wouldn't have been given this educational opportunity, nor would I have learned how to better manage money. I wanted to tackle my student debt as fast as I wanted a job. So I spoke with four different financial advisors ranging from UAA loan specialists to national bank franchises to David Ramsey. I had to accept the fact that this was a part of my education, and in seven months I was debt free."

• Volunteer.

"As a part of a community service class in the Honors College, I volunteered at the Multicultural Center," said Jaeyeon Cho, a UAA biological sciences student, prospective dentist and 2015 Spring Diversity Award winner from South Korea who graduated in May. "As a part of being a volunteer, Dr. André Thorn took me to many campus event meetings and I learned more about UAA and gained organizing skills. Then, I started to work at the Multicultural Center. I got to know more students from diverse backgrounds and also participated in and led student clubs. This experience expanded my connection outside campus, to local community members. I also volunteer in my church as a Sunday school teacher and in the Alaska Native Medical Center, where I learn skills to interact with different age groups of people. Doing more things allows me to do good works for my school and communities and teaches me various lessons. These experiences helped me build a strong résumé and apply for scholarships and awards."

• Learn more.

Kierra Hammons graduated in December 2014 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Now, she's a student again, pursuing a degree in English and working as managing editor of The Northern Light.

"I got my papers," Hammons said of graduation. "Fanfare and confetti and a hint of dullness. I turned around, paid my 50 bucks to re-enroll and sat back down in classes again."

While earning her first degree, Hammons said she went through the literal aspects of school: going to class, asking questions, doing her homework. "But I didn't know anything about myself, my aptitude or the people around me," she said. "My second degree program was different. I talked to my teachers and they told me what I was good at. They encouraged me to keep at it and it was really uplifting. For the first time in school, I had a strong sense of what I cared about and what I had to offer the world. I met great people and made excellent connections-and I think that's what college is about, honestly. It's not the classes we're here for; it's the people. If students weren't at UAA to meet people and form bonds and connections, then we'd be doing something else. If we weren't here for the people, then we'd be at home chipping away at our diplomas through University of Phoenix or DeVry."

• Apply, apply, apply.

"I have applied to a ton of scholarships to cover a lot of costs in college and I even applied to scholarships I thought I wouldn't get," said Crystalyn Lemieux, a First Alaskans Institute intern who served on UAA's Native Student Council, worked in the Cama-i Room and volunteered in a host on- and off-campus organizations before graduating in May. "The good news is, I would sometimes get those scholarships and when I didn't, I realized I was practicing my ability to fill out applications. Now I am not as intimidated by scholarship applications and now I feel like I have mastered that skill. It is almost a job in itself-I even work toward building up my scholarship application by choosing specific student worker positions, volunteer opportunities and even training opportunities. I make decisions deliberately and when I do something, there is a lesson I am trying to get out of the event or program."

• Ask.

"I made it through college without asking for much help from my teachers," Hammons said. "That worked for me, and I thought I could handle it all by myself. But while finishing my second degree, things were different: I was working two jobs and I was freelancing for creative work. Life challenged my physical and mental health. I lost a loved one and suffered from great sadness. It's never a bad thing to ask for help. It was really hard to do, but I'm glad I did it. My teachers were all so incredibly understanding, and I never would have finished last semester without it."

• Plan.

"When it came to my post-graduation plans, I began planning the transition the summer before my senior year," said Xavier Mason, who delivered the student speech at commencement in May. At the time, Mason held an officer position with Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. "I planned how I would transition my way out of most of my leadership roles...so I pretty much decreased my involvement and positional leadership in the fraternity. By doing so, I also made time to plan my post-college career. What I planned that summer was how I could use the resources and the network provided to me to make me more efficient, and what steps or programs I needed to get involved in that would help me do that." Mason joined the College of Business and Public Policy's Leadership Fellows Program and found a mentor that could guide him on the path of being an entrepreneur. "The second thing I did was create a master résumé from which I could make derivatives for specific job opportunities. I also began to go out of my way to meet people who were in the same careers or industries I was interested in. Because I have been lining up my ducks for so long, I now have an abundance of options. The only thing I have to do is decide which ones I want to take."

• Check out.

"My advice is, take a break!" said Shayla Silva, a UAA global logistics and supply-chain management student, Miss Alaska International and former Miss Fur Rendezvous; she graduated in May. "After spending years as a student, sometimes you just need some time to yourself to travel and find out who you are. I do not have the same passions I had when I started college, and even last year. I'm taking the summer and maybe some time in the fall to travel and look into new experiences and adventures I never had the chance to do while I was in school. Take a break, put your feet up and smell the roses!"

• Have faith.

"I'm an international student, so working and living in the U.S. is quite limited with my type of visa," said Anna Berecz, a May graduate and UAA ski team member who competed for Hungary in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. "This last year I spent thinking about what my next step will be and I realized I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Alaska just yet; I would miss it too much. I also missed a few grad school application deadlines not knowing what I wanted to study." Berecz applied to an optional practical training that will enable her to stay for another year and gain practical experience in her fields of study-psychology and dual languages. "My advice would be not to despair if you don't have a plan right away, because something will come up. And don't be afraid to make decisions, because even if they turn out to be bad ones, you can still get something out of it."

Written by Tracy Kalytiak, UAA Office of University Advancement