“So many college students want to stay there after graduation because there’s so many activities consistently going on, such as live music,” the 21-year-old said.
She thinks Ohio would have greater success retaining college graduates if there were more activities going on that appealed to the 20-something crowd.
Cataloni plans to attend graduate school in a different state, but she feels incentives like scholarships would help persuade students to stay in Ohio long term. Several of her friends who live in Pennsylvania accepted college scholarships that require them to work in certain parts of the state after they graduate, she said.
Not only do these types of scholarships keep students in the area, but they also help them get settled into their jobs without the stress of student loans.
“(It’s) super beneficial for starting a career because you’re not going to be at the top pay bracket starting a career,” Cataloni said.
Santino Diaz-Palma thinks Ohio colleges and universities should emphasize local opportunities for career growth and development to students before they graduate.
The 21-year-old Youngstown native, who is majoring in biochemistry and Spanish at the University of Mount Union, believes some leave the state for work because they don’t realize what options are available in the area.
“I think ultimately the biggest thing is revealing the opportunities that are here in Ohio,” Diaz-Palma said. “I think a lot of individuals, typically from areas that may not have access or proximity to universities won’t see there’s a potential for a career here.”
“I studied abroad spring of 2019 when I was a freshman, and so since doing that I’ve kind of had that passion of seeing the rest of the world and exploring different cultures,” Diaz-Palma said. “But I do plan to eventually return to Ohio because this is where my roots are.”
He also feels that scholarship incentives designed to keep college students in Ohio would be https://paydayloansindiana.org/cities/terre-haute/ beneficial to many and have an effect on where they decide to live.
‘I think I may probably do better (at home in Ghana) than staying here.’
Freshman psychology major Rachel Yamson walked with some friends down the cold and snow-covered streets on the College of Wooster campus between classes.
When considering if she would stay in Ohio after graduation, Yamson, 19, said she is certain she will return to her hometown in Ghana due to the limited number of people in her field who live there.
“Back home, there are not many psychologists or psychotherapists, and so it’s a bit of a niche field,” she said. “I think I may probably do better there than staying here.”
While she is not opposed to staying in Ohio except for the cold temperatures, Yamson feels if there were more scholarships for people in her field then that might be an incentive for students like herself to stay in the state after they get their degrees.
“If there were more scholarships, (then I might stay), but I think because I’m not specifically doing STEM, son said.
‘For me, it’s more about where I can find work.’
Freshmen Bridget Krus and Aliza Sosin, both undecided majors at the College of Wooster, say since they grew up in Ohio there is a strong chance they will stay after graduation, but for different reasons.
Krus, 20, of Cleveland is hoping to continue her education by pursuing topics like special education in graduate school, but she isn’t sure if that will keep her in the state or take her elsewhere.
“I’m possibly going into some very specialized kind of work that might take me where it takes me,” Krus said. “. For me, it’s more about where I can find work. But I have no real reason to leave right away, I guess.”