By Isabella Kessler
For most of my education, I've been much more concerned with surviving than thinking far into the future. As a child, I struggled specifically with reading - I couldn't read until the 2nd grade, and was the last to come around in my class. I used to think to myself, "Why would anyone read and write for fun? It's so hard!" A couple years later, I had the highest Accelerated Reading score in class and a blossoming affinity for creative writing.
I found myself auditioning for the Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts, which allowed my to nurture my growing passion for writing while taking Honors and AP high school courses. When it came time to start thinking about post-high school plans, CCA encouraged us to use Free Application day to apply to any colleges that caught our eye, and began hosting visits for representatives of different schools in the region. One of which was Berea College, most notable to the high school senior for the fact that it does not charge its students tuition. No, really! Although their acceptance rate was low (12% in 2022), I figured there was no harm in applying, and four years later, I sit before you as a proud Berea Alum and the first in my family with a Bachelor's degree.
I went into Berea with a very vague inkling of what I wanted to do for a degree, let alone a career. I ended up on the Communication track for its flexibility, and discovered my deep love of Media Analysis (I attended the Southern States Communication Association's Undergraduate Honors Conference twice with papers that focused on some of my favorite works of fiction). Alongside my courses, I also had to opportunity to work as a Technical Services Librarian at Berea's Hutchins Library, and by the time of graduation, the answer to the career question has become so clear: libraries! Of course I want to work in libraries! So many different aspects of research and community come together to make an academic library such as Chatt State's. Also, there's nothing better than getting to be around books all day.
Chatt State allows its students so many opportunities when it comes to professional development and career-building. Study abroad, participate in campus workshops, befriend your instructors, be a work study - the #1 thing I was most grateful for after graduation was having work experience under my belt. You never know where you'll discover something that can change your life forever, so always be open to opportunity.
