As college experiences come to an end, students begin to reflect and reminisce on the years they have spent at Ferris.
Sarah Woodall is a healthcare services administration senior that plans to graduate in the summer. She took college classes at St. Claire County Community College during high school and graduated with two associate degrees and a SENA certification. She then transferred to Ferris to get her bachelor’s degree.
After graduating from Ferris, she plans on taking an internship over the summer to narrow down exactly what path she wants to take. Later, she plans on getting her master’s degree to find a job in her competitive field.
“Right now it is hard to get some positions in [my field] because they usually wait until people retire,” Woodall said. “So getting my master’s would kind of give me a little bit more competitive edge.”
School has always been easy for her, so the academic transition to college was not all that different from what she was used to. However, she did find it difficult to take care of herself while doing everything a college student has to do.
“Learning how to have a routine and take care of [myself] has been my biggest struggling point in college,” Woodall said.
Woodall grew up in a small town in Michigan called Brown City. She said that her hometown was very small and uneducated, so she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
After graduating high school, even though she was unsure of what she wanted to major in, she decided to transfer to Ferris. Ferris was on her list for many reasons. Tuition was cheaper compared to other schools, she received a great scholarship and it was just the right distance away from where she grew up.
Graduating high school with two degrees was a great achievement for her. She said it was a big relief to have gotten her general education classes out of the way. She chose to dual enroll in high school to save money and because a lot of her peers were dual enrolling. She graduated salutatorian with a 4.25 GPA.
“It does stink that it kind of cuts the college experience in half, but I feel like I’ve gotten a lot out of my time being here,” Woodall said.
Although she only spent two years at Ferris, she made friendships that will last forever. The people she has met are what really made her college experience whole.
“The friends I’ve made here are friends I know I’m going to have for the rest of my life,” Woodall said. “They genuinely care, and that’s not something you get in high school, really. So that’s been the biggest thing I’ve appreciated coming here.”
Her friends helped make the transition to college easier, less scary and a time in her life that she will never forget.
“I am grateful for the people I have met here and the people that have helped me so much throughout my experience here,” Woodall said. “Being three hours away from home makes you lonely and a little bit scared.”
Ferris’ school spirit and athletics have also been a huge part of making her time here as memorable as it was. She has learned many different skills and lessons throughout her time here. College flies by quickly, so it is important to cherish every moment of it.
“The most important thing I learned was to spend your time wisely and not to waste it,” Woodall said.
As she moves on to the next era of her life, she will always be able to look back at her time here at Ferris to reflect, remember and reminisce.