Editor’s Letter
June 15, 2022
Graduating from university or college is a sign of success. But how do you measure achievement once the grades are gone? (Aside from going back to school.)
The first years after graduation can be especially disorienting. Freedom feels uncomfortable after following class schedules since kindergarten.
We want to support soon-to-be and recent grads (plus their mentors) through this collection of stories, reflections, and creative features. There are 24 articles, 17 authors, and 4 common themes of post-grad life:
Adjusting expectations, because reality is disappointing and better than we dare dream.
Embracing new identities, because everyone is more than just a “student.”
Finding friends & mentors, because people move on, but our need for relationships does not.
Growing new life skills, because (spoiler) no one ever stops learning.
Let’s normalize the challenge of change. Let’s spark some conversations. And let’s offer each other hope: Jesus journeys with us through every transition.
Sarah Robinson, managing editor
Success After Grad: The Game!
Created by Brendon R.
Does friendship feel like a maze? Does debt feel like a monster? Does career building feel like an architectural feat?
Validate your feelings with a game designed exclusively for this series!
Thinking about success need not always be serious business. Play may be just what’s needed to remember that life can be good, even after graduation.
Adjusting expectations
How to win at life when nothing is good enough
Written by Sarah
“Let’s play a game!” my toddler excitedly said at the dinner table the other day. He starts pointing at various family members, “You lose. You lose. You lose. I win!”
If only winning at life was so easy. The problem with most definitions of success is that the line is forever moving forward.
Stress to self-care: Graduating into a healthier vision of success
By Abby Bell
If you had asked me at age 18 what I thought success looked like, I would have said something about having a career in my field of study, living in a large city, and being happily married with kids.
I look back and chuckle, because now . . . continue reading
Are my hopes too idealistic? Let me keep praying anyway
By Jocelyn
Some people say my hopes for change in the world are too idealistic. Others preach that my expectations for a good Christian community are too high.
As much as I hate to think it’s possible . . . continue reading
With a faithful God, it’s worth the risk to step boldly into new seasons
By Isaiah Tan
Graduating from university and moving on from my time with P2C-Students was a challenge. Being involved in a campus ministry provided a structure that catalyzed . . . continue reading
Embracing new identities
It’s the moment after your last final of your last year. You’re done! The stress and exhaustion are relieved. You can relax, but you feel uneasy.
It’s the moment at convocation when you step onto the stage. They shake your hand and ask you what’s next. You stumble over your words, but bask in the sunlight and the happiness of completing university. You take pictures. You reflect with friends and embrace the congratulations from family.
Then, the celebration wears out. The fanfare is replaced with questions.
Even if I never land the perfect job, let me be faithful in frustration
By Eliza Hope C.
Boundless. That’s what the banners lining the way to Convocation Hall had said.
The future is boundless.
And initially, it had appeared that way . . . continue reading
Through unexpected jobs, God is providing and directing me on a good path
By Rebecca McKague
“I just don’t know what I want to do!,” I groaned with frustration, as I slammed my laptop shut. I was looking for work, but I didn’t want just any job. A few days prior, I had very suddenly become unemployed . . . continue reading
Will you trust God’s goodness, even on the boring days?
By Sarah
It’s 9 a.m., which means I’m four hours into my day.
Three diapers changed (two poops). Two breakfasts given to each child (my kids are basically hobbits). And we’re playing the same pretend game we’ve been playing every day this week . . . continue reading
O Father, tend to me through this transition
(a prayer)
By Sam Robins
O my Gardener, my Father
Tend to me through the change of season. How else will this green plant flourish through floods, fires, and frosts? continue reading
Finding friends & mentors
Long-term friends: When life changes, who do you want to take with you?
Written by Erin Ford
A few months before my university graduation, I started to feel anxious: my social circles were shifting.
A few of my peers had already graduated and moved away, and my closest friends were younger, sitting comfortably in the middle of their undergrads.
“Oh yes,” said my mentor. “You’re entering that post-grad transition period. I’m in it too––it sucks.”
How does Jesus meet me in my aimless scrolling and FOMO?
By Sarah
A friend of mine invited three other mutual friends over to celebrate her birthday. I know them all, I live five minutes from where they were hanging out, and I wasn’t invited.
The worst part: watching it four times, each Insta story, one after the other . . . continue reading
Being a good neighbour through being near, meeting needs, and knowing names
By Andre D.
When I graduated, I knew I would need to find new ways to live missionally.
I was an out-of-province student who spent six years in Toronto living on mission through P2C-Students. I studied to become a Registered Nurse, and before I knew it . . . continue reading
Mentorship is modelling a life of faith to everyone
By Erin Ford
Kathi was one of those women who exude confidence. Perhaps it was the way she carried herself. With poise. Elegance. Grace. I wanted to be like her.
We first met while I was still in university. Her face stood out among the crowd . . . continue reading
Growing new life skills
Choose your own adventure: Breaking down decisions to a yes or no
Written by Sam Robins
Sometimes I wish someone would make decisions for me.
I’m indecisive (I think). I get stuck on a hamster wheel in my head, spinning my options until I’m dizzy with decision fatigue. And despite my deliberations, too often I end up with a sense of regret.
So I’ve had to learn strategies to help me move forward in life, especially when it comes time to make significant moves.
A personal budget will serve you and help you value the best things
By Will MacLaughlin and Amy Ghaboush
Many things in life are beyond your control. But there are things that you can do that will make a difference.
Personal budgeting is one of those things.
Foundational to personal budgeting is . . . continue reading
Want the greatest advantage? Find a mentor
By Dallas Gold
“You idiot.”
I had just finished reporting to my mentor my glee from asking my now-wife, Sharelle, to “intentionally hang out.”
You read that right. Who asks that?!
My mentor, Ryan, was absolutely right. During the previous evening’s events . . . continue reading
I’m a recent grad seeking a mentor