A Woman’s View: Advice for the class of 2025

SALT LAKE CITY — Both college and high school graduates of 2025 are getting advice from family and friends everywhere, including guests on A Woman’s View.

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Our world needs you

Associate Dean in the David Eccles School of Business and Director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, Natalie Gochnour talked about how she is motivated by the graduates of 2025, and how the world is in need of those people more than ever.

“I can’t think of a time when we needed you more,” Gochnour said. “Our world is on fire, our nation has a lot of unrest, our state’s on overdrive, there’s a lot of challenges and we need your service. We need your engagement. We need your vision.”

Stop overachieving and get offline

Lisa Walker, certified athletic trainer and teacher at Springville Hill School gave advice to graduates to stop striving for perfection, and for graduates to start being happy with themselves.

“(Graduates) do need to be happy with themselves and stop striving for perfection,” Walker said. “And I would ask their parents to stop pushing for perfection.”

Both Walker and Gochnour gave the advice for graduates to take a break from their phones and social media, because it can take time away from being organized and active.

“The one other thing that I would just say is that this has to be intentional, because the natural thing is to, you know, be curious and constantly be online and take in all of that information,” Gochnour said.

Gochnour added that graduates should try to also be intentional with what they are doing when they are online due to how it affects their mental health.

Education is never bad

For high school graduates, Walker talked about how education is never a bad thing.

“Despite, if you’re looking at college, despite the cost,” Walker said. “I think there’s a lot of intangibles that go unrecognized. I hear too many say, ‘I went, I paid all this money, and I got this degree, and I’m not even using it.’ And I would argue you are using it.”

Walker went on to talk about how students who graduate with college degrees use the work ethic learned, the knowledge that they can do hard things, and how college graduates become an example for those around them.

“I don’t believe that education is ever a bad idea,” Walker said. “I think, don’t necessarily bank that you’re gonna go, you’re going to get a degree, and you’re gonna get the job of your dreams within that subject matter. But I do think that (college) would serve you well no matter what you do.”

A Woman’s View with Amanda Dickson airs on Sunday’s from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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