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- Year Of Graduation: 2020 undergrad, 2021 Masters
- College/University: Ohio State University and University of Cincinnati
- Major: B.A. in strategic communications and M.A in higher education administration
Table of Contents
When you graduated, what did you think your life or career would look like by now?
When I graduated, I honestly did not know what my life or career would look like. My senior year of undergrad was pretty stressful because I felt a lot of uncertainty about my future. During the fall semester, I had a lot of conversations with my advisor about not knowing what I wanted to do after graduation. I knew I was capable of learning and becoming knowledgeable in whatever I put my mind to, but the idea of choosing one career path always scared me.
The one thing I did know was that I enjoyed talking with people and helping others. Beyond that, everything felt like a gray area. Later that year, I remember asking my advisor how they became an advisor. I thought it was really cool that students trusted them for guidance and support throughout their college experience. As we talked more about their career path, they introduced me to higher education administration and educational studies. Looking back, that was the first time I could actually picture myself in a career that matched my interests and strengths.
Can you walk us through the major decisions, pivots, or turning points that shaped where you are today?
One of the biggest turning points for me happened during my sophomore year of undergrad when I switched my major from journalism to strategic communications. Up until that point, I had always talked about going into broadcast journalism. It had been my plan since high school, so changing majors felt like I was completely altering my future. As I got further into the program, I realized I didn’t enjoy being in the spotlight as much as I thought I would. I was more interested in working behind the scenes and helping things come together. Strategic communications felt like a better fit, and it also gave me more flexibility since I wasn’t completely sure what career I wanted to pursue.
Another major decision was choosing to pursue a master’s degree in educational studies. My academic advisor introduced me to the field, and the more I learned about it, the more it seemed like something I could see myself doing. I’ve always been passionate about education and making it more accessible to others. Growing up, education didn’t always feel attainable. My parents were immigrants, and neither of them had more than a middle school education. Because of that, earning a master’s degree meant a lot to my family and me.
At the same time, there was a lot of pressure that came with it. I often felt like I was asking myself, “What’s next?” After every accomplishment, I immediately started thinking about the next goal. Looking back, those decisions helped shape where I am today and taught me that it’s okay if your path isn’t perfectly planned from the beginning.
What do you do for a living, or how are you supporting yourself right now? What does a typical day in your life or work look like?
Right now, I work for my local county Juvenile Court as a Diversion Specialist. The work is pretty unique and not something I fully understood until I started the job. About 80% of my role involves processing youth who have been arrested, including admitting and releasing them back into the community. The other 20% involves meeting with youth who have committed a first-time offence and conducting informal conferences to create diversion plans aimed at reducing recidivism.
The goal of the diversion program is to help youth avoid further involvement with the justice system. If they successfully complete the requirements of their diversion plan, their charges are dismissed and essentially erased from their record. That part of the job is especially rewarding because it gives young people a second chance and an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.
I’m still very new to the role and have been here for less than a year. In some ways, the job has been different from what I expected before starting. It is a very structured, policy-driven environment, which can sometimes make it feel like there are limited opportunities to create the kind of impact I imagined. My position is also on second shift, so maintaining a healthy work-life balance can be challenging at times. Even with those challenges, the job has provided me with valuable experience and has supported me well financially while I continue to figure out what I want my long-term career path to look like.
What part of your career or industry turned out to be very different from what you expected?
I think the industry I work in, which includes youth advocacy and youth-serving roles, has turned out to be very different from what I expected. Before I started working in these positions, I knew that working with young people would not always be easy. I expected there to be challenges, but
I also knew the work would be rewarding. That part has definitely been true. The stories I have heard and the experiences I have shared with youth have had a lasting impact on me and have reminded me why I wanted to work in this field in the first place.
What I did not expect was how many people you encounter who seem to be in the field for the wrong reasons. One of the hardest parts of working in this industry has been realizing that not everyone is motivated by helping young people. There have been times when I have noticed coworkers or people in leadership positions who seem more focused on meeting quotas or reaching certain goals than genuinely supporting the youth they serve.
That has probably been the biggest surprise for me. When I entered this field, I assumed everyone shared the same passion for helping young people succeed. While I have met many caring and dedicated professionals, it has been difficult to accept that some people do not always put the needs of youth first. Learning to navigate that reality has been one of the most challenging parts of my career so far.
Do you think AI is impacting your role and/or industry, or will start impacting it in a meaningful way?
I do not think I am knowledgeable enough to say for certain how much AI is impacting my role or industry right now. From what I have heard, AI has had a noticeable effect in education, especially when it comes to student work and concerns about authenticity. It seems like schools and educators are spending more time finding ways to determine whether assignments are a student’s original work.
In my current role as a Diversion Specialist, I have not personally seen AI have a major impact on my day-to-day responsibilities or job stability. However, some of my colleagues have come across assignments completed by youth that appeared to have been written using AI. For example, apology letters written to a retail store after a theft offence or letters to parents regarding curfew violations have sometimes raised questions about whether AI was used to help write them.
At this point, I see AI as something that may continue to influence how schools, courts, and youth-serving organizations operate, but I have not personally experienced any significant changes because of it. Right now, I think its impact on my work has been more noticeable in the conversations people are having rather than in the actual responsibilities of my position.
If you could go back in time and choose majors again, what would you pick and why?
This is a difficult question because my answer changes often. If I could go back and choose a major again, I think I would seriously consider studying City and Regional Planning. At the time, I did not even know it was a career path that existed, so it was never something I considered when choosing my major.
I say that because I often find myself paying attention to a city’s infrastructure and thinking about how things could be improved. Whether it is new developments, public spaces, housing, or transportation systems, I am always curious about the decisions that go into shaping a community. I especially find myself thinking about ways to improve public transit in my own city and how better planning can make resources more accessible for everyone.
What interests me most about the field is that it still aligns with my desire to help people and make a positive impact on society. While it is a very different path from the one I chose, it is one of the few careers I have come across that makes me wonder what things might have looked like if I had discovered it earlier.
Looking back, what information would have saved you the most time, stress, or regret earlier?
Looking back, the piece of advice that would have saved me the most time, stress, and regret is not paying for a graduate degree entirely out of pocket. If I could do it again, I would have spent more time researching employers that offer tuition assistance or education benefits before enrolling in a graduate program.
If pursuing another degree is something you are passionate about, I think it is worth figuring out exactly what you want to study and then finding a job that will help pay for it. Even if an employer only covers a few classes each semester or pays for part of the tuition, that financial support can make a huge difference over time.
Graduate programs are expensive, and unlike undergraduate education, there are often fewer scholarships and financial aid opportunities available. I am proud of earning my master’s degree, but I wish I had known more about employer-funded education benefits before taking on the financial responsibility myself. It would have reduced a lot of stress and given me more flexibility after graduation.
What do you think people in their 20s underestimate when making career decisions?
I think people in their 20s often underestimate how much their work environment affects them. It is easy to stay in a job because it pays the bills or because you know it is not your long-term plan. But spending years in an environment that is negative, draining, or unfulfilling can have a bigger impact than people realize.
The people you are surrounded by every day matter. Whether it is coworkers with constant negative attitudes, toxic management, or even a stressful commute, those things can slowly affect your motivation, confidence, and overall outlook on your career. Over time, it can become easy to accept those conditions as normal.
One thing I have learned is not to assume that the frustrations or struggles experienced by people who have been in a position for decades are things you have to accept for yourself. Just because someone else feels stuck does not mean you have to be. It is important to be mindful of the environments you place yourself in and recognize when a job is helping you grow versus when it is holding you back. Choosing where you work is about more than the job title. It is also
about the people, culture, and environment that you are investing your time and energy into every day.
If someone younger was considering a similar path, what would you honestly tell them?
I would say do it, but be very intentional about it. Write down your why and be clear about what is drawing you to the field in the first place. Think about where you see yourself in five years versus ten years. Ask yourself if there is real career growth, job demand, and whether the path you are choosing aligns with the life you want to build.
Honestly, I would also tell them to really think outside the box. The field can be rewarding, especially if you are passionate about working with youth, but it is also important to consider different ways to make an impact beyond traditional roles. That could look like starting a nonprofit, getting involved in policy work, or advocating for systemic change in a more direct way. I would encourage them to think big and not limit themselves to just one version of what working with youth has to look like.
At the same time, I would be honest that this work is deeply rewarding when it aligns with your passion. Most people who enter the field do so because they care, and that matters. I would also remind them not to let anyone dim their light, and to protect their energy by not taking work home mentally or emotionally. That is something I am still working on myself.
Finally, I would tell them to think about their personal goals outside of work. A career should support your life, not take it over. It is important to consider whether a job allows you to still pursue your interests, maintain balance, and grow as a person without constantly having to put everything else on pause.
Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently in your early 20s, if anything? Would you still choose this path again?
Knowing what I know now, I think I would have approached my early 20s with a bit more intention and patience. I do think I would have still ended up in a helping people type of role, but I would have spent more time learning how to actually execute ideas and understand how different systems work instead of focusing mostly on passion and interest. I also would have used tools like Google a lot more intentionally to research career paths, job expectations, and what day-to-day work really looks like in different roles.
I feel grateful to have been employed and able to navigate life during the pandemic, especially with so much uncertainty happening at the time. In many ways, stability became the most important factor for me. It was less about being creative or exploratory and more about making
sure I had consistent income and security. Looking back, that mindset definitely influenced the decisions I made and kept me from taking more risks or exploring different directions.
Even with that, I do not regret my path. I think I would have still ended up in a helping people role, but I would have entered it with more knowledge, clearer expectations, and a better understanding of how to turn passion into effective work. Those experiences, even the uncertain ones, shaped how I think about career, stability, and growth today.
Connect With Ruth
- LinkedIn: @RuthNeguse
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