A milestone achieved, but what comes next?

This Saturday, I will walk across the stage and receive my bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho. It’s a moment I’ve anticipated for years, culminating in countless hours of hard work, late-night study sessions, and an endless cycle of deadlines. I should feel nothing but excitement for this chapter of my life to close, but instead, a strange cocktail of emotions has taken over. Relief is there, yes, but it’s tangled up with an odd sense of apprehension.

What’s next?

The looming presence of adulthood feels foreboding. Despite having plans to pursue my master’s degree in the spring, I...