Kathryn Hickok '03

Executive Vice President and Director of Children's Scholarship Fund-Oregon, Cascade Policy Institute

Major: English (French Minor)

"For me, the hardest part about planning for life after graduation was uncertainty and not having a job the minute I graduated. The first two years after graduation gave me different work experiences that I didn’t plan ahead of time, but which played crucial roles in my personal growth and even in my career path.

My first full-time job after graduation was as an office manager for a tax accountant. I worked with wonderful people who taught me a lot, quickly, about their business. I was exposed to a field I knew little about, which served me well later and gave me perspectives that I still value.

I also learned that it’s important to be flexible in the options you consider while also being honest with yourself. The best thing I did was to use the exercises in the book What Color Is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles. That book helped me to understand myself better and to create a picture of where and how I could use my talents, interests, education, personality, and values within the context of work. For instance, I was an English major. Critical thinking, strong writing skills, and the ability to do “deep work” are still part of everyday life in my current role at a think tank.

Today, I’m Executive Vice President at Cascade Policy Institute and Director of our Children’s Scholarship Fund-Oregon program. Cascade is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research center. Our CSF-Oregon program gives scholarships to lower-income Oregon children so they can attend private or parochial grade schools. We help give them a “hand up” in life through a quality early education. Making a concrete difference in children’s lives is the best part of my job.

It’s so valuable to do serious discernment before looking for or accepting a major job offer. We can waste a lot of time and effort pursuing paths that aren’t suited to us. When starting a career, know yourself, be prudent, and listen to the people who have your interests at heart. Pray for guidance, for the Lord to gradually reveal what He wants for your life. Don’t be afraid to take one step at a time. Life unfolds over time. Do the “next right thing,” trust God’s providence, and He will make things work out in ways you can’t foresee."