For recent college graduates, the question of what to do after graduation can loom overhead like an ominous rain cloud. Try to get an entry-level job in a faltering economy? Apply to graduate programs and go right back to school? For many recent graduates of Minnesota's private colleges, neither choice makes as much sense as finding a way to serve others. And, as more students aim to do good, they're finding the experience they are gaining is good for their careers, too.

"I feel like people who are graduating now have a real interest in service because they want to be part of the change, to be on the ground, rather than just giving financially," said Marie Zimmerman, a 2009 College of Saint Benedict graduate.

Zimmerman chose to spend 2009-10 volunteering with Admission Possible, a nonprofit organization started in Minnesota by Carleton College alumnus Jim McCorkell, as an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). The program coaches low-income high school students through the process of preparing for, applying to and getting into college.

Zimmerman's decision is part of a trend that is bringing increased numbers of applicants to Admission Possible (and programs like it), providing communities with the energy and expertise of recent graduates, and changing young people's career paths.

More students looking to serve
Throughout the last decade, the trend toward college graduates spending time after graduation serving their communities or countries has taken off. As it has, existing programs have expanded, and new programs have been founded.

U.S. government-funded AmeriCorps began in 1993 and now provides volunteers to hundreds of national and local nonprofits; Admission Possible is one of many AmeriCorps-affiliated organizations.

As part of their one-year AmeriCorps commitment, Admission Possible members work more than 1,700 hours each; they are compensated with about $800 monthly to cover living expenses and provided a modest health benefit. When they complete their term, they are eligible to receive an education award of up to $5,325 to put toward student loans or additional schooling.

Increased interest for many reasons
Admission Possible has received increased interest and numbers of applications in the last several years, including interest from students from private colleges in Minnesota, Communications Coordinator Emily Jacobs said.

Two hundred candidates applied for the 2007-08 school year; that number nearly doubled to 374 by 2009-10. Of those applicants, 70 were chosen last year to be a part of Admission Possible, and about half of those members attended Minnesota's private colleges.

The reasons for the added interest in service-oriented programs are varied, Jacobs said. "We feel this increase represents a growing interest in service, as well as the growing competitiveness in the job market."

Myles Radtke, a 2009 Carleton College graduate, applied and was hired as an AmeriCorps VISTA by Admission Possible this year, but said the hiring process was actually "very competitive," which took him by surprise.

Jacobs sees the increase in interest as a good thing, noting that it creates a more qualified pool of candidates, allowing Admission Possible to "find the best fit for the position."

Catalysts for a career
As an increase in interest in Admission Possible and similar programs has occurred in the last few years, something unique has happened; in addition to being a way to "give back," contributing a year (or two) of service has been recognized as one of the best ways for young people to begin their careers. In fact, in 2008, Admission Possible ranked as one of the Princeton Review's Best Entry Level Jobs.

To Zimmerman, Admission Possible provided a way to explore several fields she thought she might want to pursue and gain work experience. She applied to several AmeriCorps programs shortly before graduating and was then hired by Admission Possible for a communications position.

Communications was not only her major, but an area she had her eye on, she said. In addition, the program's organizational culture and nonprofit status appealed to her. "I wanted to try working in nonprofits to see if it fit."

Working with the organization this year has "absolutely" helped Zimmerman move forward in her career, as she now knows she wants to work in communications and in the nonprofit world, she said. Her dual focus on making a good career decision while also helping others echoes what seems to be students' mixed motivations for pursuing service programs. 

According to Denise Ward, associate dean for student services at Macalester College, wanting to do something positive after graduation might have as much to do with the school the student is attending as it does to factors like the economy. Macalester, like many private colleges in Minnesota, has a "strong tradition of service orientation," she said.

A culture of service
Students pursuing service opportunities might have varied motivations for doing so, but the encouragement they receive from their respective institutions proves an important part of their decision.

According to Radtke, the message to serve after graduation didn't necessarily come from administration - it came from the students themselves. Several people within his group of friends also chose service opportunities, from the Peace Corps to other AmeriCorps programs, he said. He specifically chose to pursue Admission Possible because he was once a low-income high-schooler himself, he said, and was drawn to the program's mission of navigating the path to college for first-generation students.

Bethel University alum Christian Ann Drummond, who graduated in 2009 and is an Admission Possible college coach, echoed Radtke's belief that her university's climate and mission inspired her to serve her community after graduation. "In general, college students believe they can change the world, but I think people at Bethel really believe that," she said.

Drummond also credited her adviser as helping her to see that Admission Possible was an opportunity and a privilege. In turn, she has persuaded several of her friends still at Bethel to apply, and two of them will be Admission Possible AmeriCorps members this coming year, she said.

Overall, Jacobs says that Admission Possible's AmeriCorps program gives recent graduates "a lot of responsibility and opportunities to develop their career skills."

Zimmerman said her year-long experience has been very positive. "I have loved working at Admission Possible. It gave me a chance to take on some career responsibility while also making a difference," she said. "It's fun to come to work and know that you could change someone's future."