When Sophie Thrasher ’26 held the tablet displaying her next destination on Senior Signing Day at the Career Center, it displayed a logo she made herself.
Thrasher, an English and Spanish double major from Charlotte, N.C., will work on a self-employed venture she created in the Launch Program called Tote & Note, a brand architecture studio. Thrasher says side jobs in marketing and branding over her time in college allowed her to apply her love for writing in professional domains. She picked up new tools — and new clients — along the way.
“I love learning. Learning new technologies, website design, SEO best practices, it’s been fun for me, and I thought I could really do something like this for my career,” Thrasher says.
Senior Signing Day, held on Wednesday, is a chance for 2026 graduates like Thrasher to share and celebrate their next steps, from graduate school placements and full-time employment to internships and military service.
During the event, which is held annually by the Career Center, seniors take photos with a tablet displaying their next destination while enjoying food, music and gifts. There was plenty to celebrate too: 98% of Wofford graduates report positive career outcomes within six months of graduation.
Zion Sampson ’26, a biology major from Aiken, South Carolina, will head to Ann Arbor, Michigan, this fall to study at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
Sampson knew when he arrived at Wofford that he wanted to go to dental school, and he relied on alumni in the field and the college’s pre-dental advising and support. He believes Michigan will provide the ideal setting for him to train to be an oral maxillofacial surgeon.
“It’s really heavy on research and has a strong clinical foundation,” Sampson says. “I visited a couple of times and really enjoyed the place and the people. I was hoping for something new and different, and I think this will be an exciting opportunity.”
Jack Grabarczyk ’26, a biology and finance double major from Greenville, South Carolina, will move to Scottsdale, Ariz., to begin a job in investment banking with Kaizen Equity Partners. He says he has family in the Phoenix area and figured he would see what was available in the region.
“I messaged one of the business’ founders on LinkedIn and set up a quick phone call with him,” Grabarczyk says. “I went through the application process, which had a few steps and case studies, and I ended up getting the offer two weeks ago.”
Grabarczyk credits the Career Center with helping put the finishing touches on application materials that landed him the job.
“They did a great job helping me with my resume and my LinkedIn profile, making sure that everything was set up and polished,” he says. “They also did a great job of passing along opportunities for internships and jobs. Two of my three internships at Wofford came through the Career Center.”
Curt McPhail ’96, executive director of the Career Center, says the center’s staff is happy to play a part in the journey for Wofford students — including fun moments like Senior Signing Day.
“This day is not only a celebration of the next destinations of our graduating seniors, but also a recognition of all they’ve accomplished to get to this point. We’re very proud of all of them,” McPhail says.