What are you going to do with your college degree? It’s the question that every college student dreads, but eventually you will no longer be a student. Maybe graduation is just around the corner, or perhaps you still have four (or five) years ahead of you. When that time comes, you must have an answer to that question. Will you go to grad school, enter the workforce, take a gap year or invest time volunteering with the community? The Mirror reached out to Drury alumni to see how they are using their degrees.

Furthering Education

According to Career Planning and Development’s 2018 report, nearly 25% of graduates were enrolled in graduate or professional school.

Jessi Cook graduated in May 2019 with degrees in Criminology, Sociology and Psychology.

“I’m at Washington University Brown School of Social Work, getting my Master’s in Social Work with a concentration in violence and injury prevention,” Cook explained. “My future plans are to either work with trauma victims or with prison reentry programs.”

Cook credits her success in grad school to Drury’s excellence in teaching.

“Drury helped me with honestly grasping the research of my area. A lot of the other students in my degree program are just not grasping easy research methods, where Dr. Utley and Dr. Long have already taught me,” said Cook. “Also, APA format isn’t a new concept to me either, which I’m grateful Drury taught me before I got to grad school.”

Madeline Clark is another Drury alumna that is pursuing a graduate degree. Clark graduated in May 2018.

“I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry!” said Clark. “Right now, I am at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in the School of Pharmacy pursuing my PharmD while also obtaining an MBA. Transitioning into pharmacy school has been so much easier than I anticipated because of how well Drury prepared me – in and outside of the classroom.”

Getting Right to Work

While many Drury graduates sought to further their degree, many others found a job in their field directly after graduation.

Mason Coble graduated in 2019. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Production and Journalism, with an emphasis in Broadcasting.

“I got a job near the end of my last semester as a News Producer for KY3, and now I work there full time producing the 11 a.m. newscast. I had completed an internship there my sophomore year with the consumer reporter Ashley Reynolds, so it was already on my radar for potential career options. During that internship, my eyes were really opened to the awesome world of journalism, which made me want to pursue that path, even though my degree emphasis was more in the broadcast production side of things,” explained Coble.

Jamie Mesler also graduated in May 2019. Her degree is in Community Health, an individualized major.

“Currently, I am working as an Americorps member with the Epilepsy Foundation of New Hampshire as a Families and Children Coordinator,” said Mesler. “I mentor kids who have epilepsy and provide support groups for parents of children with epilepsy. I also go to different organizations and give presentations on epilepsy and what it is and what resources are available to those who have it.”

Meanwhile, Erin Michael, who graduated in May 2019 with a degree in Psychology, is working for Springfield Public Schools.

“I work in Early Childhood Special Education. I am a behavior technician, which basically means that I am doing assessments with pre-K kids in the special education program,” explained Michael.

Dedicating Time to the Community

Other Drury graduates have found themselves working for non-profit organizations doing a variety of things within their communities.

Mady McColm, who graduated in May 2018 with degrees in English, Writing and Theatre, has explored many non-profit organizations.

“For the past year, I have been participating in a volunteer program called XPLOR through the National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ,” explained McColm. “The program pairs individuals with non-profits in different cities across the US for a year of service. It’s a lot like Americorps.”

Before that, McColm spent time in St. Louis, Mo. with a non-profit called DOORWAYS.

“DOORWAYS provides housing and supportive services to people living with HIV/AIDS,” said McColm. “As an intern, I got the opportunity to work both on the administrative side as well as getting to know clients.”

McColm plans to continue her work with non-profit organizations, but this time, her work will take her to the East Coast.

“For the next year, I have decided to continue my service with National Benevolent Association, but my assignment has changed. I will be stationed in Charlotte, North Carolina, working and living at QC Family Tree, an intentional community in urban Charlotte dedicated to justice for gentrified communities,” explained McColm.

McColm is still figuring things out but has enjoyed making a difference.

“While I don’t necessarily ‘know what I want to do with my life,’ I’m glad I decided to use my gap years to explore new places as well as do what I can to help fight against the oppression of marginalized people,” she stated.

McColm is not the only alumni making a splash in the community, however. Trevor Cobb graduated in May 2019. His degrees are Writing, Spanish and Graphic Design, with a minor in Women & Gender Studies.

“I currently work for a non-profit called 360 Communities just outside of Minneapolis. My job title is Digital Marketing Specialist, and I get to use all three of my majors almost every day! I manage our website and social media accounts, as well as doing some graphic design work. I live in the Twin Cities and absolutely love Minnesota,” explained Cobb. “360 Communities delivers safety and stability that improves lives. We have three major program areas that include violence prevention, community resources and school success. We operate food shelves, resource centers and domestic violence shelters, plus we have advocates and support workers in police departments and schools across the country.”

You can check out Cobb’s designs on the webpage at 360communities.org and the Instagram @360Communities.

On Your Own

The standard workforce doesn’t work for everyone, and some graduates opt to take things into their own hands.

Sari Higgins Shryack, who graduated in May 2014, took this quite literally and used her degrees in Fine Arts and Design Arts to create art.

“I married and moved to Austin, Texas the summer after I graduated. I started working as a full time artist in 2016, and since then I’ve showed at local galleries in Austin,” said Shryack.

Much of Shryack’s art is found on her Instagram at @not_sorry_art, or you can buy her work from her webpage www.sari.studio.

Notable Alumni

Many notable athletes, writers, entrepreneurs and actors have Drury University as their alma mater. Some of these people include Bob Barker, host of The Price is Right; Trevor Richards, pitcher for the Miami Marlins; Dan Glass, president of the Kansas City Royals; Tom Whitlock, songwriter and lyricist; Jeanie Riddle, Missouri senator; Mary Ellen Hopkins, author and journalist; and Larry, Rosie, and David O’Reilly, founders of O’Reilly Auto Parts.

This list is not exhaustive, but it is indicative of some of the great things that are made possible with a degree from Drury University.

So, what are you planning to do with your college degree?

Article written by Delilah Gadd.