KANSAS CITY, MO — As graduating college seniors prepare to don their caps and walk across the stage, they are also gearing up to enter the workforce amid rising inflation rates.
Students at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and Rockhurst share how they plan to manage rising costs of the basics, like food, housing and gas.
"I feel like I’ve worked so hard for this moment and I’m happy to make my family proud,” said Karen Nguyen, a graduating senior who studied in physics, medicine and french.
All smiles and looking ahead to their futures, seniors tell us it’s nerve-racking with inflation at a 40 year high.
“Being able to start my career is what I’m most excited for, being able to hit the ground running and just go for it,” said Kyle Potts, who studied business administration with a real estate emphasis at the University of Missouri of Kansas City.
Especially for seniors like Nguyen, who is a first generation college student, and says she is preparing to manage loans and debt.
“I hope that I will seek the right resources to help me,” Nguyen said.
Andy Mangandi, who is majoring in nursing at Rockhurst, says increased grocery and gas prices have taught him to manage his money.
“The prices of gas basically doubled for me. I’m having to waste twice as much money on it and that I guess decrease the amount of money I can use on my groceries," he said.
Senior Kyle Potts at The University of Missouri Kansas City says he is worried about how rising prices will impact his career and lifestyle.
“I am a lot more nervous because I am going to be working as a commercial real estate broker, and that is just straight commission, so I actually won’t have a set based salary, so I am a little worried about that,” Potts said.
Despite the challenges of navigating life after college, these students tell us they’re ready for what’s next in their lives.
“Knowing who to talk to is a good thing, and asking my family for advice or people who have done it before and what their experiences were like and how they managed it, and just trusting myself in making the right decisions,” Nguyen said.
