By Julia Siemens (julia2@spu.edu)

Young university graduates are donning their mortarboards during a time when the job search is complicated. While the number of jobs is rising, the unemployment rate for Americans aged 21 to 24 is above 8 percent, according to the Economic Policy Institute, two points above the national average, and “underemployment” remains a problem. So how are recent grads making the leap from classroom to career? Sometimes it takes time — but it always takes creativity and ingenuity.

Here are a few stories from grads who’ve worn the Seattle Pacific University tassel in the past two years. They’ve all found unique ways to take assets from their SPU education and put them to work in their vocational journeys.

	From SPU to Google Fabricio Turcios ’12 | Account Manager Google
	From Seattle to Eskişehir Meagan Dooley ’14 | Fulbright Student Teaching English in Turkey
	From Seminarian to Church Planter Jaymes Lackey MDiv ’14 | Pastor Creating Christian Community in His Hometown
	From Concessions to Career Liza Gonzalez-Ramos ’12 | House Manager Seattle Repertory Theatre