Planning for Your Career and Grad School

There are so many things to love about the start of a new semester. Campus feels lively, and there are tons of great events to attend including callouts, sporting events, and lots of career fairs!  With your next great step in mind, this week’s topic came as a request from several students – how do I navigate finding an internship, a job search, or even grad school prep with my current GPA? It can feel challenging, AND it is important to know that many alumni who were in a similar position have continued forward to reach their career and personal life goals.

Our colleagues in the Center for Career Opportunities (CCO) shared one of the best steps a student who is worried about their GPA impacting an internship, job, or grad school search can take is to meet with a career services consultant through the CCO.

“Each student situation is unique so there isn’t going to be a single strategy that works for everyone. A one-on-one appointment will allow the consultant and student to work together based on the personal situation, goals, and strengths,” shared Tim Luzader, an expert on college-to-career development and former executive director of the CCO.  Tim also recounted several former students he’s known find unique ways to make a first impression, beyond GPA, and to use their experience of overcoming academic challenges as a part of the value they bring to an organization.  Visit the CCO website to learn more about their services, schedule an appointment.

Alumni Spotlight – Alexandra W.

One alumni who experienced academic challenges then went on to reach her personal success is Alexandra. She wanted to share her journey with other students, saying “If I can help just one individual believe in themselves, despite their individual academic challenges, I would be grateful.”

I faced a low GPA in my later two years of college. I had a challenging personal situation, and it unfortunately changed me at the time, significantly. I look back now and realize the severity of my struggles at the time we’re so hard for me to try to cope with. It completely clouded my capabilities as a student and overall person. I would get so frustrated in my courses because I felt like I was trying harder than I ever had to in the past with academics and was seeing my worst outcomes. I felt so embarrassed, ashamed and defeated. I now look back, thanks to ongoing therapy I am still practicing, and accept the fact that my mind was not in a space or able to focus and perform like I was once capable of.

Thanks to a faculty mentor and my internship supervisors, they all saw past just my GPA number. They believed in me and what I was capable of. I still have so much gratitude for the letter of recommendation they wrote for me. They helped root for me and further support considerations to get into graduate school.

Graduate school applications were defeating at the time because I knew that the number on my transcript would likely define my chances of getting in somewhere. After researching programs and studying hard and taking the GRE, I knew those test scores would be my only chance, along with letters of recommendation. I wanted to get into the program that was my top choice, George Mason University, so bad. The day I got my acceptance letter from them, I felt like I finally was able to relieve myself of guilt and doubt I felt about my college outcome, academically. I started to believe in myself a little again!

 I ended up earning a 3.89 GPA in my graduate school program. I pursued a dual major in special education and applied behavioral analysis from George Mason University while juggling a full time job for two years.

I have furthered my professional career and worked my way up from a Registered Behavior Technician to becoming a clinical director of an autism center and overseeing the entire company clinically and business wise. I then was given my most recent and greatest accomplishment in my life thus far, my husband and I had our son this year. I will be proud to one day share my story with my son. I can model and teach him, through my life experiences, that he can overcome any obstacles or hardships life present to him and to not ever let it define who you are.

Challenges and struggles are just a part of the success story. Alexandra found mentors to be an important part of her journey, and the CCO career consultants are a great option if you’re looking to add to your support network. Who is someone in your support network that is rooting for you? And if you aren’t sure who that may be, who is someone – on or off campus- you can reach out to this week?