Passionate about conservation from a lifelong love for animals, senior Julia Pollom plans to attend Kansas State University for wildlife biology. “I’ve been into birds since as far as I can remember,” she said. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to be a scientist. My grandpa was in conservation, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps.” Pollom was impressed with K-State’s biology program facilities and research labs but also others’ passion for nature and opportunities offered. “I really liked how interested the people who are in it are [and] how into it they are,” Pollom said. “I also really liked the opportunities K-State provided with it being a land-grant university and on the prairie, which provides a whole lot of research opportunities in that field.” Pollom wants to specialize in her field with a specific type of organism. “I would love to do conservation of some kind, probably either in the ornithological field, which is birds, or herpetological, which is reptiles and amphibians,” she said.

With an interest in factual reporting, senior Parker Elgas intends to become a broadcast journalist at the University of Missouri. “I’ve recently taken an interest in how things are portrayed in media,” he said. “[When you are] a part of it, you can help shape the narrative and tell the real truth. That’s very important to me.” Elgas is excited for the active opportunities his program offers as it differs from traditional desk jobs. “I definitely didn’t want to work in a job where I’m in a cubicle,” he said. “I think [journalism] really allows me to get out in the real world and be doing different things — every day will be different for me.” Mizzou is often considered one of the best journalism schools as it has many opportunities to experience different pathways to choose what best suits one’s interests. “I’m open to any part of sports journalism or any part of journalism [that] is exciting to me,” he said. “Hopefully I get a job working in sports journalism and broadcasting.”

Senior Sophia McKenna wants to earn her Masters of Architecture from Kansas State University. “K-State has a five-year master’s program, so I’ll be able to get that masters that I need to work in a firm in a shorter amount of time,” McKenna said. “It’s closer [and] cheaper because it’s in-state, and they also have a writing program I can join.” Her passion is driven by her interest in design, math and seeing her projects take life. “It’s really cool that you can put something down on paper and see it turn into a whole building that’s functional and getting used day to day,” McKenna said. K-State’s program would allow her to get a bachelor’s and master’s at the same time, letting McKenna begin working as an architect sooner. “I hope I would be able to work for a firm for a couple of years and eventually start my own firm and work with building equestrian buildings,” she said. She also wants to continue with language studies to further her work with customers. “I plan on getting a minor in Spanish,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to use that in my businesses to work with a wider client base.”

Senior Jenna Jones started her theater journey early, taking a technical theater class as a freshman and following through with tech theater throughout high school. “I’ve really enjoyed theater these past four years,” Jones said. “I’ve always had a really good appreciation for what the tech theater does.” For Jones, a major in theater design covers a plethora of subject matter. “It’s focused not on one specific aspect of tech theater,” she said. “It goes into different things in the theater world essential to get any shows going.” Upon thought of a future career, Jones said she would love to be a stage manager for a community theater, but a major theater department is even better. However, a major in theater design is not the only path Jones has in mind during her time at the University of Kansas. “I plan to double major with finance,” Jones said. “I’ve really enjoyed math these past couple years, and as much as I love theater, it’s not a very good career to rely exclusively on. The double major allows me to have a fallback.”

Never wanting to work a boring office job, senior Michael Muller said he thought a career path involving airplanes would suit him well. “I’ve always liked airplanes,” he said. “I like working with technology.” To explore a major in flight, Muller has to fulfill unique requirements. “I have to have materials that most people would not have: my flight materials,” he said. “It’s also different in the classes I take. All of my classes are focused around airplanes and the actual action of flying a plane.” Muller’s college of choice, the University of North Dakota, provides programs with tentative job offers before graduation. “My college offers two pathway programs through United and Delta,” he said. “I plan to take the United [Airlines] Pathway Program. I’ll get all of my flight training and hours.” In order to fly a plane, a pilot must have a medical license — something for which Muller has a backup plan. “If you have some sort of medical issue come up, you may lose your medical license and can’t fly anymore,” he said. “I’m looking at Aviation Safety and Operations as my double major and maybe a minor in Space Studies.”

Since he was little, senior Rylan Cobos has been playing music. “My mom taught me piano since I was 4,” he said. “I started drums in the summer after first grade, and I’ve just been doing it ever since.” Cobos said he’s pursued music his entire life, and when pondering a major, he preferred to select one he considered to be worth two: Music Industry. “It’s a mix of the music world and the business world,” he said. “This is where I want to be as of right now.” After attending Oklahoma State University, he is looking to jump into his mix of two worlds to continue his passion. “The music industry is more of the technology production side,” Cobos said. “I want to do that along with still playing — maybe getting set up in a recording studio [and] making my own music.”