Recent graduate keeping her options open as she enters the workforce

Just because you graduate from college doesn’t necessarily mean you know what you want to be when you grow up.

As long as you find a direction that gives you a sense of purpose, the rest will take care of itself when the time is right. At least that’s the hope.

Recent Central Washington University graduate Karin Whitehead finds herself at one of those all-too-familiar crossroads. After earning dual degrees in psychology and sociology earlier this month, she has her eye on a number of potential career paths.

And although she has arrived at a culmination of sorts, she’s not in any hurry to decide what to do next.

“I’ve always known that I would like to work with younger children, and I have thought about going into education,” Whitehead said, “but I still don’t know exactly what that is going to look like. I don’t necessarily want to become a teacher, but I could see myself working in a school setting.”

She is thinking about pursuing an advanced degree someday, possibly in school psychology. But, for now, she’s eager to build some professional experience in an educational environment, preferably in her hometown of Spokane.

“I could see myself being a teacher’s aide or a substitute, or maybe working in an early childhood learning center,” she said. “I don’t have much experience yet, so I’m not sure exactly where I will end up. But that’s what’s great about my two degrees: I can put them to use in a variety of different areas.”

Keeping her options open is one of the main reasons why Whitehead chose to go into sociology in the first place. Her interest in psychology came a little later, but she never had any doubt that the two degrees would pair nicely together when the time came to join the workforce.

Her main concern when she came to CWU four years ago was that she didn’t want to lock herself into one specific career path.

“I wanted to make sure that whatever direction I chose, I would be able to keep a lot of doors open,” Whitehead said. “The biggest thing for me was to choose something I enjoyed learning about and made me feel fulfilled. And I feel like I found that with both of my programs.”

Another decision that ended up working out perfectly for Whitehead was going to work for CWU Cafes and Markets immediately after arriving on campus.

She applied for an entry-level position during New Student Orientation in the summer of 2022 and was eventually promoted to student manager — a responsibility she fully embraced in the years that followed.

“Having a student job was the best decision I could have ever made because everything I needed was right here on campus,” she said. “I met so many great people, and I also learned a lot about myself.”

Whitehead said her job taught her valuable leadership and communication skills while showing her that work can, in fact, be fun.

“Unlike my first job back home, I really appreciated the learning environment we have in Cafes and Markets,” she said, crediting General Manager Taylor Sivak for creating a positive, collaborative atmosphere that is focused on student success. “I loved coming to work every day.”

Now that Whitehead’s time at CWU is in the rearview mirror, she looks forward to catching up with her parents and three younger siblings back home in Spokane, while mapping out her future with her fiancé, Alex Boyce, a 2026 computer science graduate.

Whatever happens next, she is overjoyed about how everything transpired during her time in Ellensburg.

“I had such a great experience at CWU, and I’m going to miss it so much,” Whitehead said. “But I’m also excited for what the future holds, no matter what I end up doing.”