The Compass Center for Career and Calling is a campus department dedicated to helping students on their career journey. Using their four pillars of Explore, Experience, Equip, and Embark, the entire Compass Center staff helps students as they navigate the working world through and after college. Throughout each year, the Franken Fellows put on events to give students first-hand experience as well as resources to use. One of the upcoming events that they are hosting is the annual Adulting 101 series, which is held to give students an introduction to the adult world.
The Compass Center has been holding the Adulting 101 events for the past five years. The event is a great entry to getting to know the Compass Center and their goal. Students are welcome to come to free workshops, and can anticipate to walk away with more practical knowledge and skills that help build their future adult life. Adulting 101 is an amazing opportunity that falls between curriculum and co-curriculum activities. The ideas of Adulting 101 were brought into existence by faculty and have been received very well by students over the years.
The first event of the Adulting 101 series was held on Jan 21st, 2026, which was the always popular Job Search and Networking night. Led by Abby Roeske and Aleza Edwards, this event was for all students and sought to teach practical job search and networking skills. The Compass Center promoted this first event on their Instagram page by captioning: “The job/internship hunt can seem overwhelming and stressful. This event will help you feel more prepared as you begin the process.”
Students who attended this event received helpful job search and networking tips, hands-on practice in this process, help creating an elevator pitch, assistance in finding professional connections and more. Another small but popular part of these events that the Compass Center always provides is plenty of snacks in order to attract college students. According to Elizabeth Pitts, the event was overall successful.
Addison Whipple, one of the students who attended the event, said, “I enjoyed the event because it helped me figure out where to start in the job/internship search and I particularly liked how they gave us resources that we could use after the event’”
The second event in the series is entitled Budgeting Basics and will be held on Feb. 3, 2026. For this event, the Compass Center is partnering with two guests from American State Bank in Sioux Center. Led by Issac Short and Lauren Waypa, the event will offer a chance for students to put together a budget that can be used in the future working world. One major highlight about budget making at the event is that students will learn about all the forgotten things that one might never think of when budgeting, such as understanding how to adapt to a budget when the price of gas is changed. Students will be able to walk away with a budget template to use after the event.
The third and final event in this series is Kitchen Confidence and will be held on Feb. 18, 2026. This event will be led by Franken Fellow Ashlyn Jensen, and deals with the topic of crafting healthy foods while still on a budget. Students will be able to walk away with multiple recipes for meals to make or better ideas for how to craft healthy and affordable meals.
While the first event was all about getting a job, the second and third events in the Adulting 101 series seem to focus on practical adulting skills that one should have in addition to getting a job.
The Compass Center does not want these events to feel like another lecture, but rather practical practice as students go into adult life. The theme of the Adulting 101 series was chosen because it is such a vital lesson in every student’s life. Students are encouraged to attend all events because they may not be the same every year. If students have any questions, concerns or want to know more information, contact the Compass Center.
Students learn skills that they will be able to use the rest of their lives at Adulting 101.
