Day After Graduation podcast

Life after college doesn’t always go as planned. There’s no ‘road map’ or guidelines as to what life is supposed to look like post-college, rather adjusting to the changes and speed bumps along the way. In this episode, we share three stories of total chaos, starting with Catherine Byers Breet ‘93 as she takes us through her journey as a brand new flight attendant with some (literally) bumpy circumstances. Host Ryan Catherwood goes back to one of his first jobs after college to speak with his old boss - and asks why he was let go! Finally, Kirsten Gaines ‘15 shares her experiences buying, crashing, and navigating life as a new car owner.

Wildlife There are many paths to success after college. For some alumni, the years immediately after graduation present at great opportunity to try something different. In this episode, we explore seasonal work in Alaska with Jennie Wysong ‘10. Jennie shares her experiences which also includes a few encounters with local wildlife. Mary Alice Colo ‘65 went to Yellowstone National Park for the summer after she graduated. Her adventure includes “bear jams” while working in the small village of Fishing Bridge.

According to the National Restaurant Association, almost 1/2 of all adults got their start with a job waiting tables or washing dishes in a restaurant. For some new graduates, a job in a restaurant is the popular job to make the transition from college to career. But restaurant work can also be a career, intended or not. Chris Campanella started his career at Morton’s Steakhouse and is now a Sommelier and Server at Edo Squid in Richmond. Hear from Jess Bufford owner of four restaurants in Richmond and Washington, D.C. about her start and what it’s like be an entrepreneur in the restaurant business.

When most people think about the music business the big names and commercial successes come to mind. But that’s just a small fraction of those that make a living playing music, and an even smaller percentage of those that try to enter the industry but come up short. In this episode called “Encore,” we interview Pat McGee, a popular musician who attended Longwood in the late 90’s. Pat describes getting started and getting a chance to play for President Clinton. Hear from Geoff Bakel, a drummer who quit his job as a financial analyst to tour with his rock band for four years, and from Joel Wofford ‘17 as he plans his path to music success after college.

Getting started in financial services means accessing an individual’s “natural market.” Each one of us possesses a network of relationships including relatives, friends, neighbors and acquaintances, through which new financial services representatives seek to establish a client base. In this episode, hear from Longwood alums Dale Baake ‘07, Cory Nichols ‘08, MBA ‘10, and Clay Eanes ‘16 as they describe the challenging reality of accessing their natural markets and getting started in this popular yet demanding profession.