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Sacramento State Grads Unsure About Future As Pandemic Continues On

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – College graduates in 2020 are missing out not only on a ceremony but in some cases, that first job after finishing four years of higher education.

Now, some Sacramento State graduates are considering just staying in school.

Jimena Castaneda was supposed to walk across the stage this weekend as a graduate of Sacramento State University, but the coronavirus put the brakes on her big moment. Castaneda joins tens of thousands of college grads not getting a ceremony, but also in not getting that usually guaranteed job after putting in four years of college.

She said she wants to be a high school teacher, and so far hiring is on hold at most school systems she has applied to. Castaneda's alternative now is to consider grad school for two more years, hoping for more opportunities to come in 2022.

"Nobody could see this," Castaneda said. "It sucks that we're graduating right now and we're missing out, so you just have to be uplifting and keep a positive perspective."

Other recent graduates told CBS13 that if a job or continuing their education are not options, they may consider volunteering in the community while waiting for job opportunities to open back up.

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