Students gathered on Tuesday, Oct. 21 to hear from alumni speakers in “My First Job Out of College,” a panel offered as part of Emporia State’s Professional Development Week. 

The event invited alumni to share their experiences navigating life after graduation—how college prepared them for the workforce, what their first jobs were really like, and the career journeys that led them to where they are today. 

Among the speakers were Amber Reed and Lucas Moody, who both reflected on the uncertainty that often follows graduation and the lessons that helped them find their footing along the way. 

Reed, who now runs her own counseling practice, admitted that her path wasn’t immediately clear after earning her undergraduate degree. 

“I still didn’t really know what I wanted to do after I graduated,” she said. “Those two years before grad school helped me really understand what I wanted and then go for it.” 

Rather than waiting for the “right” opportunity, Reed took an exploratory approach. She spent time researching potential career paths, pursued a master’s degree in counseling and sought out internships that built transferable skills she could use later. Those experiences, she said, gave her the confidence to eventually open her own practice. 

Reed offered practical advice to current students who might feel nervous about finding or starting their first job. 

“It’s okay to try new things and not like them—and it’s okay to leave jobs,” she said. “You have opportunities to grow and change.” 

For Lucas Moody, the path after college was equally uncertain, though his journey began even earlier. Growing up in a rural town of about 8,000 people, Moody said that coming to college opened his eyes to new perspectives and helped him build valuable interpersonal skills. 

“College gave me a different understanding of all types of people,” he said. “The diversity really helped open me up, build more people skills, and learn to adapt.” 

As a first-generation college student, Moody didn’t have a clear roadmap. He initially expected to work in construction with his father and only enrolled in college when friends decided to go. But over time, he began to see how his life experiences—especially the challenges—could be transformed into strengths. 

“I became really comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he said. “I probably took on more than I needed to, but that helped me learn and grow.” 

Now holding two master’s degrees, Moody said his success came from persistence and a willingness to keep learning. His advice to new graduates focuses on balancing reliability with adaptability. 

“Flexibility comes with dependability,” he said. “When we’re dependable and accountable, that’s when we really find our moments to thrive.” 

The panel offered a candid look at what life after graduation can really look like—full of uncertainty, experimentation, and change.

 For the panelists, the years after college weren’t about having all the answers right away, but about staying open to new experiences and trusting that direction would come with time.