I can’t even begin to count the number of people that have told me, “These are the best years of your life,” or “This is the most fun you will ever have,” or “College doesn’t last forever, enjoy it while you can.”† I refuse to believe that at 21 years old, this is where my happiness peaks, my fun ends and this so-called real world begins.† I drink cheap beer, live in a cinderblock room with one window and plan my schedule around what kind of soup Lowry is serving.† Maybe you disagree, but I’m pretty sure the world has more to offer in terms of opportunity and excitement than this.† May is quickly approaching, and although I want to be excited for post-grad life, having no plan is making me absolutely terrified.
Last Thursday my mind was finally put at ease, at least for a little while. The Department of Communication, Communication Club and Lambda Pit Eta presented the Spring Alumni Forum featuring Angela Massoni Kates ’97.† Kates’ story was inspiring, exciting and actually made me look forward to heading on to life’s next adventure.
Kates is the Chief of Staff at a Fortune 500 company, American Family Life Assurance Company (AFLAC). She lives in Georgia with her husband and newborn baby and even had enough money to help move her parents down to live closer to her. By any standards, Kates is successful. The aspect of Kates’ story that inspired me so much was that she never even planned to go to college.
Kates comes from a humble upbringing and said that going to college was never even an expectation from her family.† Due to financial issues, she enrolled at the College of Wooster a semester late.† Kates managed to graduate in three-and-a-half years, even though she participated in almost every music ensemble on campus and waitressed for 40 hours a week to pay her own tuition.†† After receiving her master’s degree in communication through a fellowship at Wake Forest University and a series of† jobs, Kates was able to network and work her way up the corporate ladder at AFLAC. Kates is now recognized in various business magazines and publications for her achievements, was a feature on a CNN newscast for her importance in the business world and even gets to travel on a private jet.
I think it is absolutely amazing that Kates never even expected to go to college and now she is successful in her career and personal life. Kates made it clear that life is about making your own opportunities, saying students should take time to figure out what we really want to do with our lives and not rush into anything because people told us it was the right thing to do.
In her presentation Kates told the audience, “Life just doesn’t fall into your lap.† You have to make it happen.” Life presents opportunities all the time. At this point in my life, I just have to know when to seize them. Like most seniors, I am freaking out about these upcoming months. However, Kates’ story made me realize that I don’t need to have a plan right away. If we seize the right opportunities our lives can be as fulfilling as we want it, the fun doesn’t have to end in college.