What schools have you applied to? Where are you going to college? What will you major in? As a 17-year-old in high school, these were all questions that used to be the most anxiety-inducing thoughts and encounters I could have faced. It took a long time to determine where I wanted to go to college because of the never-ending number of schools to pick from. The endless pressure of feeling like I had to have my life figured out as a teenager left me feeling so confused that I chose to stay home to get my associate’s degree through my local community college. Looking back at my community college days, my thoughts are filled with appreciation; however, at the time, I couldn’t have felt more behind in life as my peers went on to go to “bigger” and “better” schools.
However, the feeling of being behind would soon turn into looking ahead. During my time in community college, I reflected on myself, worked hard, and put myself in a position to be anything but behind. I earned my associate’s degree in one year and a bachelor’s degree through UW-Madison in Consumer Behavior and Marketplace Studies in two years. Realizing I would graduate a year early, I researched master’s programs through UW-Madison and I came across the Business: Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership, MA Program. The second I found this program, I knew I needed to apply as it fused all my professional interests into one.
From an early age, I knew fashion was what I wanted to pursue; being a creative director for a fashion brand has always been a dream of mine, and working as a stylist, visual merchandiser, buyer, personal assistant to a fashion designer, and helping run a fashion show for a nonprofit are all experiences I’ve had to make my dreams a reality. Yet, when event planning the fashion show fundraiser for Madison Reading Project, a local nonprofit, I realized how interested I was in exploring this career path. Since this realization, I’ve worked to expand my experience within nonprofits and loved every second. Thanks to the Bolz Center, I will be able to learn about art direction and the nonprofit realm further, with the possibility of fusing the two.
As this program is only one year long and graduation is around the corner, what will you do after college? is often a question I’m faced with today. Although I can’t give a straight answer, just like I couldn’t at the age of 17, I’m confident and excited to be living in the now as a Bolz Center student. I know I’ll be able to grow my experiences and knowledge through the program and be one step closer to finding my answer.
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