The Big Scary World of After College
There are plenty of reasons to attend Grove City College, but few things are more convincing than the words of an alumna. I spoke to Karolina Lagerquist, a 2016 graduate of Grove City, and an outstanding member of the Entrepreneurship Department. She played on the Grove City tennis team, and was certainly involved in mostly everything.
Why did you decide to attend Grove City, and why did you pick your particular major?
I chose to go to Grove City because I wanted to go to a school that would push me in all areas of life as a disciple of Christ. I also wanted to attend an institution where I could get to know my professors and classmates on a personal level – and that deep, challenging community was definitely what I found at GCC!
What was most rewarding about attending Grove City?
The most rewarding part about being a Grover was getting to join a community of driven, enthusiastic students, devoted to learning not only their academic discipline excellently, but also willing to engage and take ownership of their faith. To be both vividly present in one place for four years is incredibly formative and is a great way to lay a foundation for the rest of life!
In what ways do you think Grove City has best prepared you for after-college life?
GCC prepared me very well, specifically in the comprehensiveness of the entrepreneurship program. Respectively, in the sense that everything that I have been asked to do at my job has been something that I have either done already for a class project or at least know how to wrap my head around. Additionally, learning how to juggle way more than you think you can handle has been invaluable – and not just for life at the office!
How has your transition from college to the workplace been?
Transitioning to the working world has definitely been easier coming from a GCC education. At Grove City, you have to develop a strong work ethic to survive – and coupled with the opportunity the receive a liberal arts education, you are set up well for flourishing. It is not easy leaving the Grove, but prepared to succeed.
If you could give potential students some advice about college, what would that be?
Taking ownership has always been a really important concept to me (and seems to be to many GCC students) – but one thing I wish I would have done more as I got closer to graduating was recognize that God has a plan. No amount of angst-filled, wheel-spinning on my part was going to help me trust that fact. One of God’s names is Jevhovah Jireh, which means ‘the Lord who provides’ and my advice to current Grovers – especially those heading out in the next few months – would be to really internalize this notion because it is something that I have drawn on countless times since graduation.
Hopeful Conclusion
Speaking to Karolina really eased my nerves and made me realize that I go to a great school that will prepare me for my professional and personal life. Not only will I “make it” after college, but I’ll thrive. Being a senior myself, it was a scary time to stare down and look at the real world. Freshmen and prospective students do not have to worry about it quite yet, but it is important to pick a school which will help you along that path (once its time to walk on it).
