A Girl Named Emily

I was at my second book signing the other night and greeted very warmly by a young lady who seemed to have done her homework. When I told her my name, she knew I was the author being highlighted that evening--and even that I went to Stockton.

She knew that because she did, too. Emily had just graduated from my alma mater and returned to her college-break job before she makes her next move. Despite an eight-year age gap, we clicked immediately.

We reminisced about what dorms we lived in, swapped around a few professors names and seemed to click instantly. She was there to check in on me and make my signing that much easier. (Because Stockton is like a secret society, so whenever I meet someone who went there is always a connection. At least for me! I guess every school is like that, right?)

Anyway, there was something special about hearing her talk of her plans. She debated joining the Peace Corps and was off to New York soon to participate in the AmeriCorps. Emily wasn't like most grads who leave school and are in a holding pattern for a few months until their next big adventure. Clearly this girl had done her homework and devised a plan for herself. And in the meantime, she got to work at Borders. This to me, looked fun. And I could tell she enjoyed her job, too.

I guess the moral of the story is that graduation doesn't have to signal a crisis. Emily may not know her entire career path, but just by expressing hope for the future, she's got a lot of grads beat.

That's what embracing "The After-College" is all about!