I have been working towards an undergraduate degree at Northern Kentucky University since the fall semester of 2021. You’re probably thinking, “Wow, that is five and a half years,” Oh yes, trust me… I know. This is a story of growth and discovering personal strengths both in and out of the degree.
Before I went to college, I was told by a relative that “it’s impossible to find a job in the arts” and that “you should do something that requires more than just an undergraduate degree”. Being only 18 years old and nervous about my financial future, I felt that I had no other choice but to go into a field that I wasn’t fully confident in and do nearly a decade of schooling to succeed in life. I had a passion for learning about the mind and an interest in becoming a child psychologist, so that was the route I originally chose to aim for. Although I liked psychology, I had a voice in the back of my head that told me this wasn’t quite the right fit. I have never been good at math, and I quickly realized that the majority of the psychology curriculum involved just that. I thought that since I was on the Bachelor of Arts track, I would be in the clear… I was sorely mistaken. Not only that, we had tests and quizzes every week, and I would fail them because of my testing anxiety. It didn’t matter how much I studied or how great of a student I was. Each quiz or test always ended with a panic attack that I couldn’t control.
It was at the end of my second semester that I made the decision to switch into graphic design. I thought, “Why not tap into my natural strengths for my future career? Clearly psychology isn’t working for me.” I have always had a creative brain and thrived in high school extracurriculars because of it. I felt I was most in my element when leading a group, discussing a creative direction, or keeping things professionally organized. All of these strengths sounded like a pretty good blueprint to go into design, so I took the leap. The difference was like night and day for me. I was so much happier and was getting an “A” in every class. And the best part? My background in psychology actually assisted me in becoming a better designer.
Throughout my time in college, I also got heavily involved in extracurriculars on NKU’s campus (I promise this is important, so bear with me). I joined Delta Gamma Sorority in September of 2021 and was holding the Director of Scholarship position by December. In 2022, I recruited for my chapter for the very first time and started mentoring younger members of Greek Life as a “big sister”. In the spring semester of 2023, I was accepted as a Recruitment Counselor (Gamma Chi) for sorority recruitment, joined Order of Omega (national honor society for Greeks), and was hired as an NKU Orientation Leader for the summer. That December, I was elected Director of Recruitment Counselors for sorority recruitment and Director of Alumnae Relations for Delta Gamma. In spring of 2024, I was chosen to be Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity’s sweetheart (female representative for the year) and became President of Order of Omega. From the fall semester of 2024 into the spring semester of 2025, I finished up my time in Greek Life and got engaged to my boyfriend of three years, Ben. At this point, I had done all of this, received multiple scholarships and awards, kept my GPA above a 3.5 (now a 3.8), and held multiple jobs (one of them being commission only).
Once I got as much leadership experience as I could at NKU, I focused on getting more design internships. Since last year, I have had three paid internships. If it weren’t for my experience in each and every one of those extracurricular positions I held, I do not think I would have gotten past the interview stage. Employers want to see that you have dedication; they want experience, no matter where it comes from.
After five and a half years at NKU, I have realized that there is so much more that goes into a successful career than obtaining a fancy piece of paper with your name on it. You grow through experiences and succeed by leaning into your strengths. A degree is just a singular flower that you can add to your bouquet of strengths and experiences. I leaned into my strengths in leadership, psychology, and the arts. I found out that you can make a financially successful career out of the arts, so long as you know how to do it correctly. Most do not realize that, on top of being an “artsy” field, design is structured through the lens of leadership, business, psychology and so many other aspects of “financially promising” fields. Your degree on its own is not the answer; your degree along with your strengths and experiences is what allows you to succeed.