Walking the Plank Toward Grad School

by Eddie Sonnie

I’m only a junior, and I still have a bunch of time to figure out who I am and what I want to do with my life, but at the same time, now is the perfect time for me to explore my options for the future. Thanks to all of my amazing involvements here, I have figured out that, at least for a little while, I want to stay in residence life, and pursue a career in student affairs. Since I am a first-generation college student, I am definitely not sure about what the whole process of applying looks like, but thankfully, my supervisors and a bunch of offices on campus are here to help me!

The Center for Career Planning holds a graduate school fair every year, where grad programs come to our school and set up a table and talk about their programs. This year I went and was able to speak with a few local schools about their higher education programs. The representatives that were there were really nice and helpful, and I even got to sign up for a raffle for a fee waiver on an application, which I actually ended up winning!

I love Christopher Newport, but the time comes when a Captain needs to set sail and chart different waters. That time is coming up for me, next May. I love my university so much, and I can only imagine how emotional it is going to be walking across that stage, knowing that I put my mind to getting a degree and accomplished it. I know that the experiences that I have had here, socially, academically and professionally, have prepared me well for what is to come after Christopher Newport. I’ll never forget all the awesome things that I have done here, and like so many higher education professional Christopher Newport alumni, I might just find my way back to a familiar harbor here for a career.