Where Are They Now? One Year Later: Stacey Naughton

I have big plans for myself.  We’re talking huge; which is why I am currently living in number 62 market, Fort Myers, Florida.

I graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania one year ago with a degree in Communications, specifically broadcast journalism. Philadelphia is a number five market. When I say market I mean how many people are in the viewing area watching a certain station’s newscast, morning, noon, or night.

When I was offered my first job in the field which I actually achieved a degree in two weeks before I graduated, I was kind of proud and horrified at the same time. My future boss told me if I were to accept his offer I would be starting May 31, 2011… roughly three weeks after I graduated from college. With nothing else on the table I said goodbye to my extensive sweater and boots collection, packed up my Jetta, and made the 21 hour drive to Fort Myers.

My boyfriend joined me on my journey but bought a one way ticket back to Philly a month later, making it clear I was lucky that he was staying with me for four weeks while I adjusted to the awful humidity and being a full-time working adult with actual bills.

We found me a studio apartment… a pretty big downsize from the four bedroom sprawl my parents own back in PA. I was out furniture shopping while my friends were going to Happy Hour. To be honest with you, it really, really sucked. I had no friends, no real knowledge of the area than what I had Googled, and practically no money because it was all spent on things I needed to be a real adult!

Time went by and I adjusted to my new life, where I have a tan all the time, taught myself how to cook, pay for new J. Crew chinos without help from my Dad’s credit card, and work my ass off. My work schedule changed more times than I can count over the past 12 months and I worked the shittiest hours and every major holiday. But it paid off because I earned myself a promotion producing my station’s weekend newscast and 11 p.m. show three days a week.

In a couple paragraphs, that’s what I’ve been doing since I graduated from college.  I may be far from home, but like I said, I have it scheduled in my Lilly Pulitzer planner that in a decade or so I’m going to be a successful Executive Producer calling the shots in a big city.

I hope any girl reading this picks up that fact that I am the right amount of full of myself, because if you aren’t sure you can successfully rule the world, then why should anyone else? I made this move to Fort Myers because of those big plans I have.  And if you’re reading this, I know you probably have them too. You might even be my competition one day in a job interview.  If you are, it better be because you took a chance and moved thousands of miles away from home to start achieving those goals you mapped out for yourself when you started applying to college over four years ago.

I’m glad I pretended not to hear the shitty advice my friends and family had to give about me moving away because I’d be at home wasting time while my plans for myself got smaller and smaller. And really, who has time for small plans?

**All month we are featuring articles from recent grads and graduating seniors on where they are now. You can read the rest of the articles here. If you would like to submit a post for this segment, read this and/or send us an email at forevertwentysomethings@gmail.com.**