Senior to Senior Series: Jack Schmiedlin
Hello, my name is Eliza Moore and I am a senior Marketing & Music major at Chatham University. Every student’s journey to graduation has been different and in this series we will see a glimpse into some of the lives of Chatham University’s senior class of 2022-23. Our first interview is with someone who knows all about how much can change in the course of your college experience. From changing his major, to leaving a sport behind, Jack Schmiedlin has done it all.
Jack Schmiedlin ‘22
Major: Psychology, with a minor in Business Management
Hometown: Culver, Indiana
Why did you choose Chatham University?
I originally chose Chatham for the purpose of playing hockey. I was a part of the team for two years before making the decision to leave and focus more on my academics and the other aspects of my Chatham experience. Even after deciding to no longer play hockey, which was the original reason for coming, I really loved the school and the friends I had made, so I knew it was the place for me.
What was the biggest change from your first year to now?
My biggest change was definitely quitting hockey, but it gave me the opportunity to take different classes and find exactly what I wanted to do outside of sports. I started off as an international business major but due to a hockey conflict, I was unable to take my language class. This led to my first major change; I switched to MIS (Management & Information Systems).
I thought this would make me stand out from other individuals, but it didn’t feel like the best fit and I wasn’t as motivated to do my work. I decided after that I would pursue what I knew made me happy, which is Psychology. I used to find it difficult to stay focused in my other courses, but I didn’t have this issue with Psychology. I knew finding a major that I could fully engage in would lead me to a career that I was happy in as well.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I currently have a tentative plan. I graduate in December and plan to stay in Pittsburgh for a few months until I go to Europe in hopefully March. My grandmother lives in Ireland and I plan to stay with her while also traveling around Europe; I’m hoping it will be for about two months. After that I have a job offer in Wisconsin with the company I completed my internship at. The company is called Multi-Media Channels. They are currently in the paper business, but they also have a start-up that I got to work with as well. It was a really cool experience to work with them and I encourage anyone from English, to Business, to Psychology to reach out to me as there is always a spot available to work with them.
Do you have any advice for perspective students?
I have a couple things I wish I knew:
It is never too late to jump into something new. There is never going to a perfect time or a perfect opportunity, sometimes it’s out of necessity and sometimes it’s just luck, but never be afraid to try something new.
Organization is key. Even something as simple as downloading google calendar will make yourself so much easier. You’re going to be busy and it’s always better to have it written down than try and remember everything. I definitely wish I realized that sooner.
You’re going to grow and change over the years. You may have been doing something for a long time, like sports for me, but eventually those things do come to end. You never know what’s going to happen, so be prepared for anything and it’s always smart to have a backup plan. If you can roll with the punches that come with change, you’ll be just fine.
If you or a friend would like to participate in the Senior to Senior series, please reach out to Eliza.Moore@chatham.edu. We want to hear about your journey at Chatham University!