Pivot - Then Pivot Again

Kaelanne Quinonez 

It’s the beginning of fall semester and I’m a second-year grad student…. in a different program.

You’ve heard of undergraduates changing their majors, but a grad student? That is much more unlikely. I suppose this is because grad students are generally older, supposedly have more of an idea of what their academic passions are, and hey, it’s only two or three years for a master’s degree so why not stick with it? These are all valid points and yet, I felt as if I needed a trajectory shift. Yes, I was researching something I had a passion for and yes, it was only for three years, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I was choosing the right path for my post-graduation goals.

As someone who wants to go out into the professional/entrepreneurial world and not into academia, I had to analyze my current path. The research I was doing under my first program was beneficial and taught me skills, but would these be the right skills for a company? How would they impact my entrepreneurial plans to own a own business down the road? A year into my program, I decided to make a big switch.

The switch was from Range, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, studying drought and ecosystem services, to pursuing a master’s in business. It was a whirlwind of emotions and scrambling of paperwork over the summer, but finally it was done and I entered the first semester of my second year of grad school.

All I can say is that it felt right. The academics were something completely different than what I was used to studying five years prior but it was challenging and fresh. The classes felt like a compliment to my past years in the sciences. I was learning skills that would build upon my technical knowledge and lend themselves to something greater- two halves to a whole. It may be unorthodox, untraditional, and I may get asked about the change quite a lot but to me it just makes sense.

I could never imagine leaving my agriculture and range roots behind - in fact I still plan on weaving these themes into my future career. But for the time being, classes will be attended in a suit rather than jeans and work boots.