by Caroline Kware
As a freshman, I added a Beyond120 course: Professional Pathways to my first semester schedule on a whim at orientation. It was an incredibly helpful class as a freshman who had no idea where to start when it came to the professional world. Professor Braun clearly cared about giving his students the best material to prepare them for a professional life. It made applying for internships and opportunities easy and I know I will carry on what I learned throughout my schooling and my career.
When I saw the Beyond120 excursion to New York application, I was excited to apply and even more excited when I got the acceptance. I did not know what to expect but it was definitely one of the most valuable parts of my freshman year. I met a group of older, more experienced students who had great insights into different experiences inside and outside of UF. I met the great UF faculty that made this trip possible and wanted us to get the most out of the trip and all the company visits. And I met great alumni who seemed to want all Gators to succeed. They were open and friendly and they offered great advice. It was amazing to talk to students who were in the same spot I was in a few years ago and see how far they had come.
We visited many companies (Gannett, TransPerfect, Whatif Media, and more), with some career paths I had never heard of or considered. All of the companies were welcoming and gave us great information on what they do, and they graciously answered all of our questions. Since getting back, I’ve already started to adjust my resume as well as looking into applying to a few opportunities I learned about. As a freshman, I can already tell that the Beyond120 program will change the trajectory in a positive way for my next three years at UF and beyond.
