Maine’s College Seniors Face Uncertainty After Graduation

A building on University of Maine at Augusta’s campus. (Robbie Feinberg/Maine Public File)

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of stress on college students. In just a few weeks, many have had to pack their bags and leave campus, then transition to new, online classes. And for those set to graduate this spring, the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic has many on edge and some rethinking their plans after graduation.

Hunter Chesley says she has not gotten much sleep over the past month. She’s a senior at the University of Maine at Augusta, and she’s anxious about COVID-19: how it could affect her family and what it could mean for her future.

“It is hard because I feel anxious all the time,” she says. “I’m nervous that I won’t be able to get a job after graduation. So that’s kind of all I’m thinking about right now. Just because I’m scared people are going to not be hiring.”

Chesley’s path toward a college degree has had a couple of twists and turns. She transferred out of UMA to study to be a medical assistant before eventually re-enrolling at the school to major in mental health and human services. She wants to get into social work.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has upended her plans. She’s on a tight budget, and with businesses closing and millions losing jobs nationwide, she’s stressed about how to make her finances work in an uncertain economy.

Read the rest of this story at Maine Public’s website.