Amanda Fanelli, Assistant Features Editor 

As the semester is quickly coming to an end, seniors take time to reflect on their time at Utica College before graduation. Making last minute adjustments to their resume, applying for graduate school and preparing themselves for life after college are just a few things on their mind right now.

Francesca Murad, a senior early childhood and childhood education major, looks forward to graduating in May.

“I feel that I could be ready for the real world if I had to be right now. However, I do plan on furthering my education with either grad or law school, which means I do not really have to enter the adult world just yet,” Murad said.

Murad also explained how her professors have prepared her for the real world.

“I’ve had some great professors here. My professors for my major have probably influenced my experience the most,” Murad said. “Many of the education professors are adjuncts and actual teachers during the day, so it was always helpful hearing about their real life experiences. They were able to give us a sense of what being a teacher would actually be like and I feel very prepared to be a teacher if that is what I continue to do.”

Utica College’s close-knit community has made Murad feel right at home since she first arrived on campus.

“I think I am going to miss the overall experience of being at college. Utica College is so welcoming, and as a transfer student that really helped a lot. I’m going to miss the overall community of being here as well as the friends I’ve made,” Murad said.

After graduation Murad will be student teaching in the fall.

“I technically will be totally done with school. After that I plan on continuing my education in either law, special education, or speech pathology,” she said.

Jeffrey Pierce, a senior business management major, is also looking forward to graduation.

“These last four years really flew by, as cliché as it sounds. One day you have four years ahead of you, and then the next thing you know graduation is a month away,” Pierce said. “I’m a little bummed I won’t be able to pull the ‘full time student’ card on my parents anymore, but I’m as ready for the real world as anyone could be.”

Pierce said that he will not miss the college workload, but will definitely miss coming to campus and all the people he met along the way.

“I’ve come across some very inspiring professors here at Utica,” Pierce said. “Most professors have a lot of interesting experiences and backgrounds, and really just want to see their students to succeed. Utica has the type of professors who you can respect and look up to.”

After graduation, Pierce will be working full-time at Express Employment Professionals in Utica as a staffing consultant. He also looks to receive a master’s degree in business.

Sara George, a senior communication arts major, is also feeling ready to graduate.

“I am pretty excited for Graduate school, but I just cannot contemplate how fast these four years have flew by,” George said. “I think I’m ready to go out and make a name for myself.”

George said each of her professors have influenced her learning experience at UC and have helped her get to where she will be going after graduation.

“The people, the professors- everything,” George said when considering what she’ll miss most after graduation. “Just the overall experience I was able to have.”

After graduation, George will be attending graduate school at Syracuse University studying new media and education.