Seniors Reflect, Look Toward Future After Graduation
Noah Tong
As the weather gets warmer and the semester winds down, students enjoy the May Day festivities, wrap up their spring season sports and begin to buckle down for final exams. Soon, summer will arrive and most MU students will leave campus to return to families, work a summer job or complete internships.
Graduating seniors, however, must also cope with the stress of planning for life after college. Even for upperclassmen fortunate enough to have already secured opportunities after commencement, there is a level of uncertainty and stress that naturally creeps into the mind.
“It’s tough to leave a campus you’ve called home for three years,” said Nick Buttermore, a biology-chemistry major from Auburn, Ind. “Although I’m excited for the next phase of my life, it’s easy to have moments where a change of scenery feels daunting.” Buttermore is on his way to Manchester’s pharmacy school in Fort Wayne, Ind. He will be completing an education there in the hopes of one day becoming a successful clinical pharmacist. He cannot help but thank the professors who have helped along the way.
“Jeff Osborne pushed me to take the Guatemala service trip last January and he served as a mentor to me,” he said. “He really helped me find out what I was passionate about.” The quality of professors and their capacity to care for each student they encounter is a major influence on the 2019 graduating class.
“I have so many favorite professors because they’ve all been such an integral part of my education,” said Zoe Vorndran, an English and history double major from Fort Wayne, Ind. “However, I really appreciate Dr. Angelos and Dr. Ganesan.” “They have both been so helpful to me when talking about academics, post-graduating plans and life in general,” she continued. “I appreciate their willingness to always take time out of their day to talk to me about issues.”
Following graduation, Vorndran is starting a year-long internship at the Brethren Historical Library and Archives (BHLA) in Elgin, Illinois. She is open to a career in public history or becoming a professor down the line. Vorndran also believes she was “fortunate” to have a job with Jeanine Wine, Manchester’s archivist. “It was my experience working with her that led me to my internship at BHLA,” she said. “I don’t think this would have been possible without her as a mentor because she taught me so much about preserving the cultural heritage of artifacts and documents.”
Samuel Tetteh-Quarshie, a biology-chemistry major with a minor in cognitive neuroscience, credits the entire science department for helping him succeed. “They all welcomed me into their office and showed great interest in helping me succeed here at Manchester,” he said. “This was very huge in my transition process to life in the United States.” Tetteh-Quarshie is originally from Tema, Ghana.
Despite the distance, Tetteh-Quarshie knows his experience at Manchester is “one to write home about.” Last summer he completed an internship at Manchester’s College of Pharmacy which sparked his research interest that he will continue to study after leaving North Manchester. Upon graduating, he hopes to continue his career in clinical research neuroscience and neurobiology at the graduate level. “I have an offer from one of the schools that I’m looking into, but still waiting for a few confirmations from other programs,” Tetteh-Quarshie explained.
Manchester is almost in the rearview mirror for the seniors, but they will leave with some priceless memories that will last a lifetime. “I’ll probably say my fondest memory would be time spent with the soccer team,” Tetteh-Quarshie said. “The team bonding exercises and the spectacular seasons we’ve had will forever remain with me.” Buttermore, also on the soccer team in the team manager role, appreciates both the journey and the people he met along the way. “I made some great friends January term of my first year,” he said. “We spent a lot of time together that semester during class, studying in the ‘chill corner’ in the library and just spending free time with each other. Now they’re some of my best friends.”
Echoing Buttermore’s lasting perception of Manchester, Vorndran’s favorite thing about MU is the people. “I have found a family and a community of people who will embrace me as I go through this journey, whether it’s something big like making hard decisions, or something small like throwing a frisbee on the mall even after the sun sets.”
Unclear times may await the 2019 graduating class, but students are thankful for the opportunities and experiences Manchester has already provided them.