By: Francesca Catanese and Maya Omran

As the academic year comes to an end, many of us have the same question we don’t say out loud: What happens now? Beneath all the excitement from prom and the restlessness of finals there is a collective trepidation, the realization that the moment we’ve worked towards is finally here. For many of us, the impending walk across the stage feels less like closure and more like a leap into the unknown. 

The alumni we know and look up to were once in our shoes, struggling with the same echoes of uncertainty and wishing for guidance to help them through the transition. To help bridge that gap, we’ve reached out to graduates who have been in our positions.

Gianna Zhang, Class of 2025, who now attends UCLA, remembers the heavy pressure of senior year as she’d often compare herself to her peers during her college application process. She explains that she felt like she was building an image that wasn’t true to herself– just a shadow of what she saw others doing.

“As an Asian-American, there was always this idea of Ivy League or nothing,” Zhang said. “With such as message in the back of my mind, I was tricked into thinking I wanted to end up at a super prestigious school so people would look at me differently; however, at the end of the day, I realized that my life is my choice and that nobody should influence what I want to do and pursue in the future.”

Zhang noted that these feelings still linger in college, but she reminds herself everyone is on their own track and she should focus on hers. To do this, she takes classes she genuinely finds interesting and finds solace in joining clubs, honors societies, and sports.

Arshiya Hasan, Class of 2023, describes how she didn’t really enjoy her last few months in high school due to the stress of anticipating college. But now, she wishes she hadn’t let that anxiety get to her, as she discovered that college is easygoing. She recently made a very big change in her career path, switching her major from Biology to Global and Community Health at UC Riverside. Her counselor’s guidance and friends’ support kept her grounded through the change.

“I struggled with what I wanted to do after graduation and being here and experiencing different classes and clubs helped me sharpen my idea of the future,” Hasan said. “I think partaking in activities outside of class and lecture is so crucial for knowing what you want to do.”

College is a time to discover who we are and explore. Like Hasan said, we may not know our direction straight away, but getting involved can help. Clubs and organizations offer ways to explore niche interests outside of a chosen major. Another way to explore new pathways is to meet people who are established in that field.

Iman Tulasidas, Class of 2025, currently attends Pierce College, and is majoring in Biology with hopes to pursue medicine. Tulasidas’ honest advice for high school students planning their next step is to seek out mentors in fields that interest them.

“You will find that connecting with professionals, asking questions, and taking advantage of shadowing opportunities can give you valuable real-world insight,” Tulasidas said. “Often the best way to know if a career path is right for you is through firsthand experience.”

The pressure to have everything figured out right now can feel overwhelming, but these alumni stories prove that direction comes with time. The truth is, the leap into the unknown never fully disappears. But perhaps as we approach graduation, we can reshape the question “What happens now?” to “What can I try next?” Like those who came before us, we’re not expected to have all the answers, we just have to be willing to take the first step.