As students of UWM, we are the future. We have been hearing it since we were children and it is true. Like those before us, we are a generation of youth who will eventually inherit the world.

With that in mind, the Post challenged students to think about why they are here and what that means for their future and the future of society.

Julian Kegel took off of school for a couple of years before returning. He says that he did not know what to do before, but now hopes that his business classes will pay off. He plans on taking over his family’s Wheel N’ Sprocket bike shop in the near future.

Kegel thinks that most students are pressured to come into college right after high school simply to get a degree and a good-paying job.

“I hope I’m never done with school,” says Kegel. “People shouldn’t just come here to get a job after (high school), they should come to learn and get preparation.”

Realizing the future is not easy when students first begin college. Many new students go through their first semesters without an idea of what they will do for a career.

Yet, as time goes on and classes are more focused, students seem to realize their goals and determine what direction their studies will lead them.

Lindsay Puttre, a sophomore and clinical lab sciences major, realized her after-college goal of helping patients in need of blood transfusions while on a field trip to a local blood center.

“It was really cool to visit there, and when I work there, I’ll be testing blood for transfusions,” Puttre says. “Hopefully it will help those who need it most.”

Most of us hope for the dream job right out of college, but sometimes going through a lot of less-than-desirable work to move up is necessary.

As a first-year graduate student in architecture, Kevin Kinney says he does not know exactly what the future has in store for him. Nevertheless, he would like to have a job more important than “detailing bathrooms,” as he jokingly puts it.

Kinney says that a main goal of architects is to design spaces perfect for those using them, which goes beyond the less glamorous jobs in architecture.

“There’s a lot of talk of designers working together to create housing structures for hurricane victims that will suit their needs,” Kinney says. “There are a lot of issues like that where I could eventually make a difference.”

Many other interviewed students said that they are pursuing a path that they enjoy, which can be a key factor in career satisfaction after school.

The arts seem to be an area of study that students choose because they enjoy it but also hope that what they create will enrich society in some way.

“I appreciate beauty, and I want others to appreciate it too,” says Trina Irish, an art major with a focus in sculpture.

Jennifer Schell agrees. She is a film studies major who hopes to make a film people can relate to and that provokes emotion.

“I’d like to make a film that has an impact on people, and makes them think outside the box,” Schell says.

Despite the differences in their majors, a surprising number of upper-level students expressed very specific ideas and goals for their future lives.

Some were education majors with dreams of teaching, others were occupational therapy students hoping to better the quality of life for their patients.

If students do not quite have a set path and do not know what area they want to pursue, these are questions they can ask themselves:

• Why am I in college?

• Which program meets my objectives for the future?

• How can I make a living doing this after I graduate?

• Will I want to do this for a long time?

Internships are also a great way to get your foot in the door of an industry, as is talking to people who are currently working in the field you are interested in.

Goals, like most things, are subject to change, and whether or not these ideals stick is not important. It is the thought of what impact we will have going forward, and the experience we gain pursuing our dreams that counts.

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