Last semester, my column focused on showing students spots outside the Athens bubble. As I led Bobcats from the Moonville Tunnel to Passion Works, my hope was that they would evolve from university students to true Athenians. That’s why this semester, my column is going to focus on highlighting Bobcats who have chosen to stay in Athens for post-grad life, how they’re doing it, why they made the decision, and what it's really like to pop that campus bubble.
For Sally Sugar, a 2016 Honors Tutorial College journalism grad, the decision to stay in Athens came easily when she got her dream job offer.
“I worked with the Buckeye Trail Association, a nonprofit located a bit north of Athens, as a client for my senior thesis and helped them create a marketing plan,” Sugar explained. “As someone who loves hiking and the outdoors, working with the organization that maintains and promotes the trail seemed too good to be true. After completing my thesis, I found out that they had an AmeriCorps position opening up and just had to apply. I love the organization so much, and my dream is to do communications in-house for a non-profit.”
For the next year, Sugar plans to stay in her apartment in Athens and continue her work for the Buckeye Trail as a staff member.
Born and raised in Columbus, Sugar staying in Athens means she can stay close to old Bobcat friends while still being close to family for visits. Living in Athens after graduation means going from a Bobcat to a local, and in Sugar’s experience, it means hanging out with more of the local crowd as well.
“I thought I hung out with a lot of locals before, but I've been hanging out with more true Athenians since I've graduated." Sugar said. "I've been going out to the bars less and truly experiencing the town more.”
Rather then spending her Athens time balancing textbooks and bar crawls, Sugar finds herself exploring parts of Athens she hadn’t previously seen with the help of her new native Athens friends.
In addition to getting to explore one of her favorite parts of the US – “the foothills of Appalachia” – Sugar has more common ground to easily connect with locals in Athens now, as they share things back and forth, like their favorite hiking spots. While the brick streets of OU’s campus might have been home for the past four years, living as a local is a different experience.
“Don't just stay for the party or because it's familiar." Sugar said. "Stay because this town taps into a special part of your soul and makes you want to be the best you can be. Stay because of the surrounding areas and their beauty. Stay because you can make a difference here. Stay because it feels like a place you would be proud to call home.”
Leah Keiter is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. If you are an Ohio University alum, what has been your greatest accomplishment since graduation? Let Leah know by emailing her at lk969912@ohio.edu
