Graduation Day a Mixed Blessing at the University of Cincinnati

More than 4,000 students will be picking up degrees this year from the University of Cincinnati and the big question facing most of them is "What am I going to do now?" The Class of 2009 is facing one of the most challenging job markets in years and the grads are wondering if the skills they have developed in the classroom will help them find positions in the working world.

Commencement activities at U.C. take place on June 13 with 522 students getting associate degrees, 2,511 picking up baccalaureate degrees, 1,006 masters degrees will be bestowed along with 476 doctoral or professional degrees. The University of Cincinnati reports the average age of this years class is 27. The age of the youngest graduate, earning an associate's degree, is 18. The age of the oldest graduate, earning a master's degree, is 64. Women outnumber men getting degrees by a margin of 58% to 42%. Click here to view more information on the Class of 2009.

Two thirds of all college graduates this spring report that they are concerned about finding jobs, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers but confident that they will have a position within three months of graduating. The same survey finds that graduates who took advantage of the services offered by career centers on campus fared better in this tough job market.

One student who already has a job lined up is 54-year-old Etta Carver. She has earned a masters degree in social work and will be helping victims of domestic violence. The non-traditional student decided to become an advocate for victims after suffering through 13 years of domestic violence herself. She tells UC Magazine, "My goal is to inspire these women to believe they are worth more than what they've been through." Her story and the stories of many graduates are told in greater detail here.