By Missy Katner
Lumen Assistant Editor
What can I say about the last two years with Lumen without sounding like a cheeseball? Probably nothing but here goes. I am a classic Benjamin Braddock, hero of “The Graduate.” I knew I would go to college and get a four-year degree, but that’s where my plans ended. You know, other than to live life, discover bigger and better things, yada yada yada.
Where did my plan go awry? I did have one way back as a freshman in college. I was on a track. I would study relentlessly, graduate from Viterbo, and go straight into optometry school. It was a pretty solid plan, except for one thing—it was all wrong for me, and I didn’t want to admit it.
One person was able to derail what I thought was a foolproof plan: Sarah Lieser, a one-time Lumen reporter. In passing, she told me about her experience on the school newspaper and urged me to apply for a job the next year.
Two years later, I have completely rerouted my path toward a career focused on writing, my true passion. So thank you, Lumen, for knocking me off my “track.”
My positive experience can be directly attributed to an excellent staff and editor, especially this year. There was always the joke: “Well who reads it anyway?” The truth is I can’t count how many times I’ve been acknowledged or thanked for our work in Lumen.
Like college in general, an experience on a campus newspaper is what you make it. I will always appreciate (and probably miss) being able to write about almost any topic I wanted to like protests, world events, movies, and even the mysterious Marian Courtyard Box.
This is where I get to urge all underclassmen with a deep, perhaps forgotten interest in writing to give Lumen a go at least once during college. In a few short years, you could be thanking Lumen for dismantling your career path, too.
I may not have a grand post-grad scheme. I may get an “ooooh” and raised eyebrows after people ask me about my plans in this poor economy. But I have something now that I didn’t have when I was coasting on my strict pre-professional route: freedom.
The way I see it, I have a choose-your-own-adventure ahead of me. After graduation, the real world might smack me hard in the face. But for now, I remain optimistic and see endless opportunities.
