Pledge encourages graduates to find ‘good’ jobs

The job market may be tighter for UW–Madison May 2002 graduates, but a “good” job means more than good money, say organizers of the Graduation Pledge Initiative.

The Graduation Pledge Initiative is a new project at UW–Madison that aims to reach students who may need support and encouragement to make “doing good” a viable career option.

Recent graduate David Ngo, for example, now works for Community Partnerships Inc. in Madison but found himself without a job in the middle of the recent tough economy. Originally from Lancaster, he graduated from UW–Madison in the winter of 2001 with a degree in economics.

“Initially, the economy did affect my decision,” Ngo says. “I wanted to be able to be financially secure and all that, but in the end doing something that I feel is right and having a job that is fulfilling is going to make me a happier person and is much more rewarding.”

Heather Hazelwood felt similarly after she graduated from UW–Madison in 2000. The Sauk City native, who majored in sociology and women’s studies, eventually took a job at the YWCA in Madison, working with service providers and women with histories of trauma, mental health issues, and/or substance abuse.

“I accepted this job in part because I was interested in the work, and in part because I really needed a job and didn’t have anything else lined up,” Hazelwood admits. “It’s a very hard position to be in when you have to either compromise your values to pay your bills or compromise a just barely comfortable lifestyle to respect your values.”

This semester, pledge initiative organizers sponsored several events that connected students with Madison professionals to discuss ethics and values in the workplace, working in not-for-profits or the public sector, and the value of internships with organizations that serve the community.

Professionals in financial planning, law, publicity and marketing, accounting, activism and social service – all of whom use their particular skills to contribute to the community – demonstrate that it is possible to make a living while making a difference.

“After all, graduating good citizens is the historical purpose of a land-grant institution like UW–Madison,” says Katherine Loving, civic engagement coordinator at University Health Services and pledge initiative coordinator. “We need to focus on preparing students to sustain a commitment to the community as citizens and professionals, and that’s the goal of the GPI.”

The links that students form in the community can be transformative. Marc Kornblatt, a 2001 School of Education graduate now teaching at Lincoln Elementary School in Madison, was inspired by his professional mentors.

“The most significant experience was working with dedicated, cooperating teachers who went to school day in and day out, year after year, for modest pay and few accolades, primarily because they thought they were doing something worthy,” Kornblatt says.

Loving wants the pledge initiative to provide a home for students committed to making a difference in the community. “We want students to go out into the world expecting to find some kind of meaning in their work. If students aren’t intentional about looking for a meaningful job, they’re less likely to experience the satisfaction of doing something ‘good’ with their time, knowledge and talents,” she says.

But how does the pledge initiative define “doing good”? Loving explains that the pledge initiative is not seeking consensus on values and priorities among students, but rather wants graduates to consider and act on their commitments when out in the working world.

“We have a responsibility to educate the whole student, and we do them a disservice by compartmentalizing their learning,” Loving says. “The GPI encourages faculty and staff to help students integrate their academic learning, their commitments and passions, and their career aspirations.”