The experiences of young adults in their 20s are now very different from prior generations. Young people today take longer to finish school, delay marriage and childbirth, frequently change jobs or hold several part-time positions, or juggle education, family, and work in new ways.

The experiences of rural Oregonian young adults are quite unique as well, as aging populations change the forecast for job opportunities in smaller Oregonian towns.

For example, over the next 12 years, health care related occupations will replace service sector occupations in holding the most job opportunities for young adults. Changes in the economy and social landscape have a unique impact on young adults as they experience “adult events”, such as marriage, childbirth, and owning a home, for the first time.

In partnership with Wallowa Resources and Wallowa County’s three high schools, Brooke Dolenc, a graduate student at Oregon State University, is conducting a study of young adults who were raised in Wallowa County. Dolenc is seeking to better understand the unique experiences of growing up in a rural community and how these experiences impact people as they deal with work, education, family, finances, and personal growth during their transition into adulthood.

Dolenc is currently surveying graduates of Wallowa County high schools from the years between 1996 and 2007. To build a strong study, she needs to find as many graduates as possible. If you or someone you know graduated during these years, please contact Dolenc at dolencb@ onid.orst.edu or 541-908-2606.

Dolenc has chosen Wallowa County as the site for the study because little is known about the special challenges that young people from rural communities face as they make their way into adulthood. She is also interested in learning what communities can do in response.

The research hopes to get beyond the common misconceptions about both rural life and young adulthood and hopes to stimulate institutions to change in ways that help promote smoother transitions to adulthood.

A brief report of key findings will be available this fall.