Becoming in the Space Between: Navigating Life After Undergrad
June 23, 2025
by Tobechi
When I graduated with my undergraduate degree in Health Science from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) in 2021, I thought I had my next steps all figured out. The plan was to take the MCAT, apply to medical school, and begin the long but fulfilling journey toward becoming a doctor. But somewhere along the way, I realized that path wasn’t mine. Letting go of that original plan was both a relief and a fear I hadn’t prepared for. The relief came from listening to my intuition. Something inside me knew medicine, in that traditional sense, wasn’t my calling. But the fear? That came from everything else — the pressure of the unknown, the sudden lack of direction, and the uncomfortable silence that replaced the structure I sought out in my day-to-day life.
Before I discovered occupational therapy, I went through a season of feeling lost. I was constantly questioning myself: What am I doing? Where am I going? Did I just waste all this time preparing for a future I no longer want? This didn’t just affect me, but my family as well. My parents had a hard time understanding what was happening. They were worried, confused, and, at times, frustrated. At the time, I saw their reaction as pressure, but in hindsight, I know it came from a place of love — and fear. When someone you care about is stuck in limbo, it’s natural to want answers, even if they aren’t ready to give them. Being on that side of things — feeling uncertain and misunderstood, gave me a deeper understanding of how hard it can be for others to sit with someone else’s unknown. Sometimes fear can lead to urgency, and the people closest to you might struggle to support you when they don’t have control. That experience gave me a new perspective on how complex it can get trying to navigate supporting someone when it can look like there are no clear answers.
I then discovered occupational therapy after completing my first degree, thanks to a family member of mine who was pursuing a PhD in Occupational Science here at USC. That initial exposure led me to explore occupational therapy. The more I learned, the more I felt drawn to the profession. As I became more drawn to OT, I started to feel some relief wash over me. But the next obstacle I faced after finally deciding what I wanted to do was having the courage to share this with my family. At the end of the day, this is my truth — and it always will be. However, opening up about the instability I felt after graduation and presenting a new, unfamiliar plan to my parents made me incredibly anxious. It wasn’t a straightforward path to helping them understand that I was choosing a promising career — one they hadn’t heard of before — but eventually, I got to a place where I could reassure them that I was going to be more than okay.
A quote that really resonates with me when I think about this period of my life comes from Michelle Obama’s Becoming. She writes:
“Now I think it’s one of the most useless questions an adult can ask a child — What do you want to be when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end.”
— Michelle Obama, Becoming (2018)
This quote reminds me that there’s no final version of me I must hurry towards. Looking back, I realize that post-grad can be one of the most pivotal times in a person’s life — not just for making career moves, but for becoming. It’s the space between who you were and who you’re growing into. And while that space can feel empty, slow, and terrifying, it can also be the beginning of deep clarity, alignment, and growth. That’s something I now give myself permission to keep doing, even as I grow in my identity as an OT student and future clinician.
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Next by tag Beginnings and Endings ⟩
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