
In their mission to support students who are figuring out their future, career advisors at the Career Exploration Center (CEC) often share what they call the “magic formula” for discovering career goals: academics + real-world experiences = the foundation for informed career decisions.
University of Wisconsin–Madison senior Teresa Nelson knows this formula well. Once on track for a career in psychology, Teresa’s perspective shifted when a philosophy elective and a summer internship opened her eyes to new possibilities. With support from the CEC, Teresa found the confidence to explore a new direction.
Early in college, Teresa, like many students, felt pressure to have a clear direction. Declaring psychology gave her a sense of stability, even though she wasn’t entirely sure it was the right fit.
“I decided to go to Madison and major in psychology because I thought, ‘Okay, I know what I’m going to do and I’m not going to deviate from the plan because that would be scary,’” Teresa said.
But during her first semester, an elective philosophy class caught her attention. She was surprised at her interest in the discussions, where everyone could disagree in a productive way. While philosophy started to become her favorite part of the day, she stuck to her path in psychology. Not long after, Teresa landed a psychology-focused internship at a mental health treatment clinic, where she gained hands-on experience surrounded by therapists, researchers and clinical psychologists.
Although she learned a lot at her internship, what left a stronger impression on her that summer were the stories she heard about her dad’s work as a criminal defense lawyer. Driving her to and from her internship every day, he’d talk about the cases he was working on. It reminded Teresa of her philosophy classes, sparking questions about ethics and wondering how she might contribute to improving the legal system.
“Listening to the legal puzzles from my dad, that’s where I was able to draw on those skills from my philosophy classes, so that was…sort of a signal to me,” she said.
Experiences shape our direction, and that summer, Teresa learned as much about what she didn’t want to pursue as she did about what truly sparked her interest. The “magic formula” was taking shape. She started to consider switching her major, but she had some doubts. Torn between sticking to her original path or exploring a new one, she scheduled an appointment with the CEC.
“I was like, well, I shouldn’t even be thinking about switching. This is irresponsible. I’ve already gotten this far…” Teresa recalled.
Her meeting with Career Advisor Audrey Cowling helped her gain confidence to navigate what initially felt like a risky decision. Audrey helped her see the wide range of career paths available to philosophy students and reassured her that if the subject continued to inspire her, adding it as a second major would be a worthwhile choice—and so that’s what she did.
Teresa’s story brings the “magic formula” to life. By combining her academic interests with real-world experiences and thoughtful reflection, she found a path that feels both purposeful and exciting.
“I think that really cultivating space for inquiry throughout college into who you are is the best way to help [you] find what [you’re] really passionate about [doing] as a career. If I hadn’t taken a philosophy class, I wouldn’t know that I was interested in [the] philosophy of education,” she said.
Since then, Teresa has interned as a paralegal at a Madison criminal defense firm and is exploring post-grad paths that reflect her interest in civil discourse, education research, and possibly law. For students navigating uncertainty, her advice is simple: stay open, stay curious, and trust that your path will take shape.
Story by Madeleine Heu, Michelle Jackson, and Rachel Goodman