To the Class of 2020: We Must Move Forward

As a fellow soon-to-be college graduate, we must not let this cloud of disappointment be the backdrop of our successes. I am as distraught as the next college senior, who will not be able to walk across the stage at their respective Commencement celebration on time. With that said, we must process and synthesize this reality. We cannot get lost in the negativity that this pandemic has brought us and wonder "Why me?" Instead, we need to focus on how we can better ourselves and turn this into a positive opportunity of professional development.

While stuck at home, we could be doing so much more to sharpen our abilities and learn new skills. For example, I have learned how to use SQL coding language and have continued to write and publish articles for my personal analytics website. While it is tempting to sit back in your desk chair at home and only complete coursework, thinking that your week was fulfilled, that would be too easy. I ask you to tap into your creativity and passion with the goal of building something wonderful and unique. It could be a website, a project, or a business, but make sure that you are proud of it. Once its completed, it can be added to your portfolio or resume and could be a talking point in interviews.

We must also take this time to be productive. I recognize that there is a myriad of distractions in the world right now, but we need to stick to a routine, so that we can remain focused on accomplishing our personal goals. We need to start each week planning out what we want to achieve, beyond our course curriculums. I challenge all college graduates to take this newfound time to learn a new skill or start setting parameters for a new project. Develop a growth mindset, and go above and beyond what you would normally do under these circumstances over the last month. At the end of each week, reflect upon what you did and share it with others, whether that be within your personal or professional circles.

It is unfortunate that something we were not responsible for is taking away an event that we have worked so hard to reach, but we need to let it go. At this point, we cannot focus on the past and try to hold on to it. All we can do is accept this as reality and not be negative. You are not the only graduates who are going through this. While you may be disheartened, focus on what you can control and not consider this time as a setback, but as an opportunity. At the end of the day, we must move forward.