Indiana Alumni Magazine
Reality Sets In
By Kirk Walda
Kirk Walda, 2006 graduating senior
Is there pickup basketball and intramural soccer in the “real world?” How about beer pong or Wednesday night trips to the Bluebird? Can I still live with three close friends? As my final semester at IU progressed, it was these immature concerns that were perhaps the most consistently salient. The time I spent at IU flew by, and I can’t imagine four years of my life being better than that. But you can’t have those experiences forever, and that makes college all the more special. Naïvely moving into the real world, it’s hard to move on from the fantastic memories and unparalleled opportunities that I experienced at college.
But, as reality sets in, so do other (perhaps more “legitimate”) concerns. Thankfully, I feel as though the opportunities that I have experienced at Indiana have prepared me well for the future. Outside of the academic world, I particularly have the Alumni Association to thank. Serving as the 2005–06 president of the Student Alumni Association allowed me to work on countless meaningful projects and also offered rewarding challenges. Plus, I got to do stupid stuff, like enter a meeting by jumping through a doorway that I had covered in butcher paper. That probably won’t fly in the corporate world.
As I move on to working life — I’ll be at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati starting in June — I hope that the challenges I take on in the work world will be as meaningful as those that I enjoyed while in college. I found love for leadership development, team building, and mission fulfillment, and it’s not easy to envision how I’ll continue to embrace these things beyond the IU world I’ve become so comfortable with. Further, I’m confident in who I am and what I offer following my experience at IU, but I sometimes wonder if I’m making the best next step. Is there something I’m not aware of for which I’m a better fit?
I have relatively fewer generalized concerns as I enter the real world. Perhaps they are overshadowed by the forthcoming dramatic lifestyle change. However, I realize I’m getting older, and I’m seeing more social issues as compelling. Consider this evidence: I find myself watching 60 Minutes on a near-regular basis. I did not see that coming.
Most pressing, in my mind, is our society’s reliance on oil. When you think about it, it’s shocking how fundamental the foreign, drilled oil is not just to our livelihood but to the economy as a whole. I’m thankful that the incentives to develop alternatives to traditional energy are growing at a rapid pace. It wasn’t that long ago that I started to drive, and I recall gas prices being around $1 a gallon. Recently, I’ve seen reports on extracting oil from soil in Canada and making diesel from coal found in the fields of Montana, but to me it’s an overwhelming proposition that will only grow as I settle into graduate life.
I would be remiss not to also mention the ever-present war on terror, as the issue is unavoidable in today’s news and culture. I realize the magnitude of the issue, but I am unconvinced that interpretations and opinions of it are significantly affected by having “recent graduate” status. I was still in high school when 9/11 occurred, so although I wouldn’t ever want to diminish their importance, the sacrifices and debates surrounding efforts against terrorism don’t seem so new anymore.
With all of that said, I am excited about taking on new kinds of challenges as I graduate. The world I am entering is a very good one. Plus, it’ll be nice to see paychecks. But as I approach graduation, it is also clearer than ever to me why we become members of the Alumni Association. It’s hard to leave Indiana University — I love this place — but at least I can remain connected to the institution and the great people associated with IU. 
Kirk Walda served as president of the Student Alumni Association during his senior year at IU and was the 2005 Homecoming king. Among his numerous honors, Walda received the Kenneth R.R. Gros Louis Scholarship, Bill Armstrong Memorial Golf Classic Scholarship, Outstanding Student Leadership Scholarship, and the Hutton Honors College Scholarship. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.