Seniors reflect on their time at Wofford, their last semester and their life after Wofford.  

The Spring 2019 semester is well underway, which means the end is in sight for the class of 2019. The class of 2019 boasts future teachers and lawyers, doctors and writers, and some who do not yet know where their post-graduate path will take them. I sat down with some of these seniors and discussed the excitement and the worry that the future can bring.   

Some seniors are going straight into the workforce: “I’ll be joining Thermos Fisher Scientific, which is a life sciences company” Conrad Heinrich ‘19 said. “I’ll be enrolling in their FLD program which stands for financial leadership development program.”  

Anna Stauffer ’19 will be staying in Spartanburg working with e-commerce for The Johnson Group with the hopes of fine-tuning her skills to see where this position might lead her after the summer. Interning with a company is common for recent graduates to get a feel for a certain company or sector of business before settling down.  

Others have a few more steps before they begin working. “I intend to be a genetic counselor, which requires a master’s degree”, Katie Parris ’19 said. “I need to get some real-world experience before I apply to be a competitive applicant.”  

Pearson Lewallen ’19 is planning to continue on to law school: “I’ll be attending The University of South Carolina School of Law next year with the intent of becoming a corporate lawyer.” 

Shannon McAndrew ’19, is applying for a masters programs in public administration and policy.  

The seniors I spoke with talked about how their time at Wofford changed their plan. “When I was a freshman,” Parris said, “I was a typical bio major who thought I was going to medical school, but I discovered that my passions in the healthcare industry are little bit more specific than just being a physician.”  

“I was expecting to go to law school when I was a freshman,” McAndrew said. “but I decided it just wasn’t for me.” 

With this next step in life also comes worries. “The uncertainties,” McAndrew said. “would be what type of job I’m going to get when I complete my masters.”  

“There is always the question of whether I’m going to get in to graduate school. I’d like to enter in the fall of 2020,” Parris said, “but if that doesn’t happen then I’m not sure where life going to take me.” 
 

“I don’t know where I will 10 or 15 years from now,” Heinrich said, “If I’ll have a family if I won’t have a family, things like that” 

Each of these seniors also have different ideas about how they are going to spend their last semester. “I just want to be involved in all of the social opportunities”, Parris said. “I’d like to go participate in those things I won’t be able to when I graduate” 

“I’d really like to take my last semester to catch my breath before I go off into the real the world,” Heinrich said, “the idea of full-time employment is a little daunting, so I want to take my last semester easily.” 

The community of Wofford was something they all agreed they would miss. Heinrich said, “Some of my favorite memories are times when I was surrounded by my teammates,” “whether it was at track meets or right after track meets, when we would finish competing and let out all the steam we built up over the weekend.” 

Lewallen agrees that leaving Wofford will be bittersweet: “I’m certainly a little sad to be leaving Wofford, but I am extremely excited for whatever the future holds.” 

Another senior, Katie Jarett, is waiting to hear back from law school before taking any next steps, a timing predicament that seems common for seniors during the spring semester. Jarett says of her transition from Wofford, “It’s going to be a weird/rough transition for me. Wofford has obviously been my home for four years. It’s such an amazing place and I’ve made so many memories and relationships here that I will cherish forever. It’s been very comfortable here and it’s been the best thing I’ve known. But as hard as the transition will be, I can confidently look back on my experiences with a smile [knowing] I’ll always be a terrier forever.”  

Written by Robert Brook