As the end of the semester approaches, countless posts and status updates from friends regarding upcoming career opportunities and acceptance into graduate programs across the country have been filling newsfeeds. Derek Morrison, a senior at UNL set to graduate this May, was among those sharing their future plans on social media.
The post, published on Monday, read as follows:
“Hello, Friends! I’ve accepted a generous offer to spend the next few months lying on the futon in the basement of my parents’ house! I couldn’t be more excited for this chance to develop my online gaming skills and maybe even start looking for a job within the next year or two!”
The position is unpaid, but does offer free room and board along with the potential for assistance with student loans.
Although it is unknown exactly how many job offers and graduate school admissions Morrison turned down in order to become the first (and possibly last) person to act on this unique but only moderately comfortable opportunity, many think he turned down several high-profile opportunities.
“Harvard, Yale, maybe even Stanford too?” Morrison’s friend Sarah O’Brien speculated.
His Facebook status did not specify the full range of choices Morrison had, and his response when asked was vague, providing few clues of what institutions fought over the chance to have this distinguished young man join them.
Morrison’s sister, Karen, stated that she was offered the position as well a few years ago but declined, instead going to work at some boring job at NASA.
Karen had a few moments free at work to comment on her brother’s situation.
“I’m not really surprised. This seems to be exactly what he was working toward, and I feel like he’ll stay here quite a while.”