(Originally written on April 27, 2009 — 2 weeks before my college graduation.)

For the past month, people have been asking me the same question:

“So… what are your plans after you graduate?”

And for the past month, I’ve been giving the same answer:
“I don’t know.” I usually throw public relations and free lance writing in somewhere, 
but the general vibe takes on the form of a question mark.

I don’t know where I want to work after I graduate…
And I’m not afraid to admit it.

This year I’m graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and I can tell you, that beyond the degree and beyond the hours of sleep that I’ve lost, I’ve gained something more important. An appreciation for life, and a strong, well-brewed respect for who I am. After four years of insecurity, rejection and failure, I’ve realized that this will take me further in life than any bachelor’s degree ever will.

Okay, well the Bachelor’s is a bonus.

But for whatever I plan to do, my mission will be simple. To show others the beauty of what they have to offer. I want to show people, MY people, that their lives are written somewhere, even if they’re not written on a 8 by 11 resume.

Although my answer to the question has been the same, right now I’ll take the initiative to formulate a general answer. A litany that you may or may not appreciate. 

Graduation Plans:

I plan to work hard.
I plan to believe in myself, my talents, and my dream.
I plan to see past the dollar signs now,
so that I can get a full, HD, panoramic view of them later doing what I love to do. 
I plan to be a role-model.
I plan to be a role-model for future “lost graduates.”
I plan to write.
I plan to go big, but go humble.

I plan to graduate knowing that the unknown is unknown for a reason,
and that patience will have to be my best friend.