Seniors have two goals during commencement: try not to trip on stage, and figure out what comes next.
“I think that it’s going to be super fun,” Helen Miller ‘25 said. “I think that as daunting and scary as it is, I’m excited to have the time to make money and time to work and do the things I want to do.”
Soon-to-be alumni will face a significant routine change while entering a rapidly changing economic climate, impacting the job market. Here are some suggestions on navigating it.
Economic concerns
Handshake’s 2025 “State of the Graduate” report found that 56% of graduates are somewhat or very pessimistic about starting their careers in the current economic climate.
“Everybody is saying that it’s really hard to find a job, specifically for my class, because of the economy right now,” said Areanna Pumayugra ‘25, who plans to move to London after graduation, a move partially motivated by the availability of jobs in the mental health space.
Uncertainty in the economy has led to companies holding off on big monetary decisions and impacting the job market, according to economics professor James DeVault. He called today’s climate “completely unprecedented,” though he said that if the economy stays at the level it’s at currently without the implementation of tariffs, the impacts will be minor.
“It’s still in a reasonably good place now, but there is a lot of uncertainty,” DeVault said. “The tariffs haven’t kicked in yet, so it’s unclear exactly where the economy is going to be when all that happens.”
Entering the job market during a time of economic uncertainty could impact the rest of a person’s career, according to DeVault.
“When you start at a lower level, it can affect your entire lifetime’s earning trajectory, unfortunately,” he said.
DeVault suggested looking for jobs sensitive to changes in global trade, such as digital services.
For alumni still searching for a job, the Gateway Career Center currently offers complimentary lifetime support.
“Not every graduating senior knows exactly what they want to do at graduation, and that is 100% okay,” Mike Summers, the associate vice president of Gateway, wrote in an email. “We are here to support you and will meet you exactly where you are.”
Mental health
Along with the excitement of graduation, seniors may feel a sense of loss and worry from changing routines and being away from friends, according to Vanessa Freeman, an interim case manager in the Dean of Students Office.
“It kind of makes sense that a lot of our parents and whatnot say college is some of the best years of your life because the rest of the United States doesn’t have this walkable community,” Samantha Semsel ‘25 said. “You have your friends in close quarters.”
Semsel and Miller mentioned starting conversations about meeting up with college friends who live far away.
“There’s certain bonds that definitely are strong enough to handle the distance,” Miller said.
“Having spaces to talk about how they are feeling can be helpful and engaging in activities that help them manage what they are feeling is a great goal,” Freeman wrote of seniors in an email.
Freeman suggested students “make space” for dueling emotions and remind themselves that they made a similar transition from high school into college.
“This is a chance to see what helps you manage all the emotions that arise and learn about yourself in the process,” Freeman wrote.
Lafayette hosts over 200 alumni events throughout the year on campus, regionally and virtually. The alumni engagement team is making a concentrated effort to include new alumni in their programming, according to Mary Neuenschwander, the senior director of alumni engagement. This year, a new happy hour program for young people launched in Easton.
“We are very conscious about creating opportunities for young alumni to feel welcome and to foster their sense of belonging into the greater alumni community,” Neuenschwander wrote.
Beyond staying connected with friends from their time at Lafayette, Neuenschwander wrote that young alumni are often able to make connections with other alumni in their area.
“You are a student for four years here at Lafayette College,” Neuenschwander wrote. “But an alum for life.”
