{"id":233363,"date":"2026-04-15T22:20:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T22:20:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/233363\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T22:20:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T22:20:26","slug":"whats-next-graduating-seniors-reflect-on-how-their-time-at-usfsp-has-prepared-them-for-the-future-the-crows-nest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/233363\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s\u00a0next? Graduating seniors reflect on how their time at USFSP has prepared them for the future\u00a0 \u2013 The Crow’s Nest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Students are having a flurry of reactions to stepping out into the real world. Some shake with nerves, some are buzzing with excitement. All are counting down the days until their final walk across the USF stage at the beginning of May.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of USF\u00a0<\/p>\n

By Julia Birdsall\u00a0<\/p>\n

The thought of an early graduation is a harrowing thought for third year digital communications and multimedia journalism major Sophia Lowrie, who said that she wishes\u00a0they\u00a0had more time to assimilate to life on a college campus before being thrust into adult life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She is not the only one.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whether the next steps involve graduate school or entering the workforce, many of the seniors at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg are feeling similarly anxious and uncertain in the weeks leading up to their graduation dates.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUndergrad feels like a safety net,\u201d political science senior Izabella Annunziata told\u00a0The Crow\u2019s Nest. \u201cWhy a lot of people extend their time here is because it feels safe. Going out into the real world is nerve-wracking.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Senior biology major Maya Shaffer echoed this sentiment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCollege is just a steppingstone.\u00a0You\u2019re\u00a0like a baby adult,\u201d she said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shaffer\u00a0worries about taking on the full responsibilities of adulthood and\u00a0whether or not\u00a0she will \u201crise to the occasion.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, Shaffer \u2014 who is moving to California shortly after graduating and will soon be applying for jobs in the state \u2014 and Annunziata \u2014 who is moving to Scotland to complete a master\u2019s degree \u2014 have decided to embrace the uncertainty.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What they have learned during their time at USF St. Petersburg will help them adapt to the new circumstances, both felt.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over the past four years, Annunziata has learned to always be open to new experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTry everything. Do everything,\u201d she said. \u201cIf something comes your way and\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0even slightly interested in it, do it. See if you like it, love it, hate it. Because\u00a0it\u2019ll\u00a0really help shape your future.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

This is how Shaffer\u00a0determined\u00a0what she wanted her future career path to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be a lab technician for wildlife research,\u201d she told\u00a0The Crow\u2019s Nest. \u201cBeing a lab tech isn\u2019t really that different from just doing the regular labs that you do while earning your degree and I really, really enjoyed that whole process.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lowrie felt the same.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

They are applying for a range of positions in her hometown and, though uncertain, she said that their time at USF St. Petersburg taught her how to be \u201cmore outgoing and extroverted,\u201d which can help her make future connections and secure jobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lowrie also said that one of the best ways to prepare themself for graduation is to try and leave the St. Petersburg campus with no regrets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shaffer is trying to achieve this as well\u00a0and has a list of things she wishes to do before her commencement ceremony such as having a\u00a0grad\u00a0photo shoot, attending a concert of her choosing and going on a vacation with her friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She also wants to make the most of her time by being involved on campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThrow yourself into the community here,\u201d she advised fellow seniors. \u201cBecause it\u2019s probably going to be the closest-knit community that you\u2019ll have for the next couple of years before you fully settle into your life after this.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Annunziata found that the campus community was immensely helpful throughout her undergraduate experience and hopes she can build a similar support system in Scotland.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She has contributed to the USF St. Petersburg community by becoming active in multiple organizations and planning several\u00a0important events\u00a0on campus.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

She feels content, she told\u00a0The Crow\u2019s Nest, because she helped to create traditions\u00a0\u2014\u00a0such as the\u00a0Left vs. Right debate<\/a>, which she\u00a0facilitated\u00a0as vice president and then president of USF St. Petersburg Democrats for the event\u2019s first two consecutive semesters.\u00a0She hopes\u00a0the event\u00a0will extend beyond her time at the university.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve\u00a0loved all my four years here, but you know,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0just like a certain time where\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0like, \u2018Okay, you\u2019ve got to move on,\u2019\u201d Annunziata said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to close this book and then move on to the next.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

And to\u00a0all of\u00a0the graduating seniors who are feeling nervous, \u201cembrace that fear,\u201d Annunziata said. \u201cTurn it into excitement.\u00a0Don\u2019t\u00a0let it control you, let it move you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\t Post Views: 59 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\"More<\/a>
Written by: Julia Birdsall<\/a> on April 15, 2026.
Last revised by: Julia Ferrara<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Students are having a flurry of reactions to stepping out into the real world. Some shake with nerves,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":233364,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-233363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=233363"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233363\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/233364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=233363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=233363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=233363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}