I’m Graduating – Now What?

So this is the last week of school before final exams and graduation. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but only slightly. I’ve chosen to walk this spring, but I will still have 3 credits to finish before I can officially say that I have a Master of Arts in International Administration with a Specialization in Human Rights from the University of Miami. I guess I could pull a Brad Pitt, who left the University of Missouri just 2 credits shy of a degree, but I like having that piece of paper as a symbol of my hard work. Plus, what the hell have I been racking up all those student loans for? But I digress.

The final 3 credits consist of a practicum and a final report. I’m aiming to get it done by the end of summer, but realistically, it probably won’t be completed until sometime in the fall. Whatever I do, I want to be able to explore social media more, especially in regard to nonprofit marketing. In the interim, I’ve been keeping tabs on some of my favorite organizations and programs to see how they’ve been using social media, specifically Twitter, to publicize their initiatives and draw followers into a wider social experience. I just recently started looking at Pinterest (I know, I’m late) and how different organizations are extending their brands.

Overall, this semester was pretty great. I feel like I’ve learned concrete, useful skills, both personally and professionally. I really enjoyed live tweeting and documenting events for class and Miami.com, which experienced a 50% uptick in their readership while our class was freelancing for them. I liked taking photos, editing video, and finding new ways to share my point of view online. Whether anyone is reading remains to be seen, but at least I know that I have my little corner where I can be creative, mess with code, and chronicle my city and my experiences.

Update: I finished the semester with an A in my Social Media course and a 3.9 cumulative GPA. I’m just slightly as happy as this guy.