Give it a year

When Mikayla Krick ’24, ‘25 arrived at Central Michigan University, it wasn’t part of some carefully orchestrated master plan.

“CMU was really the practical choice, it was the school that made financial sense,” she said. “I applied to a bunch of schools and I’ll be the first to admit that CMU was probably my last choice. It was where my sister went. I had a few aunts go there. I didn’t want to follow my family.”

But what began as a practical decision quickly became the right one.

“That doesn’t mean, however, that it wasn’t the perfect choice for me,” she said. “CMU had the best scholarships. CMU had the best opportunities. So I went, I’ll go to CMU.”

An email from the College of Business Administration set off what she now describes as a series of dominoes.

“Initially I thought I’d do a business minor and a science major,” she said. “But getting into business felt like a bunch of dominoes falling at the right time. And it’s like, oh, I’m here and I’m enjoying my classes and I’m a marketing major and I guess I’m a logistics major now too and a purchasing and supply major.”

Faculty played a defining role in that evolution.

“CMU has some of the best professors that I have ever met in my life,” she said. “They are amazing people who really just convinced me that this is where I was supposed to be.”

That foundation carried her into two internships at Meijer and eventually into a full-time role with the company. Today, she works in data analytics, helping teams make better decisions through tools such as Power BI. But while her academic path felt like a natural progression, the shift from student to full-time professional came with a learning curve she didn’t fully anticipate.

“Of all the things that I was told before going into my full-time job, I remember somebody telling me that you need to give it three months,” she said. “I wish that I had been told that you need to give it a year.”

The first few months were an adjustment. 

“It’s uncomfortable that first year, that first couple months that you’re working because you’re trying to figure out the social norms of the company,” she said. “You’re trying to figure out where you fit in your team and you’re learning a ton because your skills that you take from school aren’t necessarily a complete match to what you’re doing now. So, you have to learn how to do it their way too.”

The discomfort wasn’t a sign she had chosen the wrong path. It was part of the process.

“It takes a lot of patience and waiting,” she said.

There were lifestyle shifts, too. After graduation, Krick made a practical financial decision to move back in with her parents.

“It’s very nice to be able to live here for a lot cheaper than you can rent an apartment in the city and be able to save,” she said. “But that does come with the challenges of now I’m an adult. I haven’t lived with my parents as an adult before, and now we have to try and work around each other’s schedules and respect each other’s boundaries in a different way.”

Beyond logistics, she noticed something else: the structure of life had changed.

“At CMU, the end of the year means changing apartments or moving from the dorms or starting new classes,” she said. “And now life just kind of goes on without having clear end points, and that can get a little unsettling at times.”

Instead of semester milestones, she’s learned to create her own.

“I’ve learned that setting my own small goals, for example setting a goal and a day to celebrate that I’ve made it this far, helps with motivation,” she said.

The shift in daily rhythm has brought unexpected surprises, too.

“As you’re worrying about free time, I know that that was commonly said among me and my friends. It’s like, oh, I’m not going to have any time anymore,” she said. “You will feel like you have so much more time when you get into your career.”

“Work now is bookended by hours that you actually have to be there,” she added. “Work does stay with the laptop. It does stay at your desk.”

Now, a year into her role, that early uncertainty has been replaced by confidence.

“I love my job,” she said. “I have a great team. I have a great job. It’s so fun to go to work every day now that I feel so comfortable in my role. I can’t wait to see what’s coming up next too.”

Her advice to students approaching graduation is simple—and hard-earned: Give it time. The first few months aren’t about having all the answers. They’re about learning the culture, building patience and trusting that growth often feels uncomfortable before it feels right.