With only one week left of classes, summer is just around the corner. Which also means that my time here in California is also coming to an end. Although I’m really sad to leave USC after 4 amazing years here, I’m really looking forward to all the good things yet to come.

The day after graduation my family and I will be flying home to Georgia. I’ll have a month and a half before I start my full time job, and I will spend most of that time traveling. So far I have trips to Chicago, IL and Hilton Head Island, SC planned, but the highlight of my summer will be backpacking through Croatia with my older sister as a graduation present. For two weeks we will travel by ferry and bus down the coast of Croatia. Along the way we’ll explore waterfalls at Plitvice Lakes National Park, the blue caves at Vis, and the red tile roof coastal city of Dubrovnik, just to name a few.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Blue caves at Vis

Dubrovnik, Croatia

During all this fun traveling, I also have several adult things to take care of. I’m currently in the process of buying my first car and finalizing my housing plans for Texas. Luckily my future roommate currently lives in Houston, so she was really helpful finding the perfect apartment. We will be living in a great apartment complex (with a rooftop pool!) right near Buffalo Bayou Park, which means we’ll have direct access to all the running trails and a beautiful view of downtown.

Running trails at Buffalo Bayou Park

But between traveling, buying a new car, putting a down payment on an apartment, and buying new furniture, I’m also definitely looking forward to my first paycheck at my new job! In the beginning of July I will be starting my new job with Phillips 66, ConocoPhillips’s new spinoff company. Although I interned with the old ConocoPhillips, the company plans to spinoff its downstream business in June, and I will be working with the new company. Although I first was wary at working for this new company, I am reassured that the work environment and people will still be the same. In fact, 80% of the employees within the Commercial Group at ConocoPhillips will be moving to the new company along with me! Once I start at Phillips 66, I will be entering a 3 month intensive on-boarding program where I will learn everything about the energy business. After the 3 months, I will start my first job rotation in one of three areas: logistics/transportation, analyst, and risk. After all my rotations I will hopefully becoming an oil trader!

Announcement of the Board of Directors' final approval for Phillips 66 spinoff

 

 

As post-grad life continues to draw near, I am so thankful for my experiences here at USC and how they have prepared me for life ahead. Until then, the countdown to graduation begins!