One of the biggest milestones one can reach is their high school graduation, however, this is just the beginning of a lifelong journey. Whether you choose to take a gap year, go straight to work, or straight to college, there will be many opportunities waiting for you. The Blue and White had the opportunity to interview seniors with varying paths to learn more about the different steps seniors can take after graduation.
For some of the seniors we interviewed, they felt a deep desire to join the military. When asked what inspired them to make this choice, Benjamin Wheatley shared, “I think ever since I was a kid I wanted to enlist. My passion and enthusiasm to join and serve was derived from my interest in history along with growing up with my grandparents. A combination of watching war movies at a young age and members in my family serving really helped set my goal to join and serve just like they did.” He continued by stating, “I would say I’m patriotic; I love this country and its history, how far we have come as a young nation, all we built in a short time, and how grateful I am to live in this country. I truly am proud to call myself an American.” Another reason for joining the military was shared by Victor Carpio, who shared what worried him. “The main feeling that leaving home gives me is nervousness since it is a new environment, and I feel that I will leave behind an environment in which I have lived for many years,” he explained, “it also gives me excitement to see that everything I have prepared for in high school is closer to being fulfilled, I know that being nervous is normal since it is a new chapter that we all have to go through in life, since we become adults.”
Taking a big step into your future is bound to raise a variety of understandable concerns. Elijah Nuebel, who’s planning on majoring in economics, explained, “the biggest concern for me is college cost. I would prefer to not have to take out loans for college, considering I want to go to graduate school. That means I’ll probably end up staying in state to save money rather than necessarily attending the ‘best’ school that I get into.” Dallin Johnson, who hopes to get a degree in psychology, shared his concerns, as well. “My mom works for the college so they give me free tuition. However, I’m really concerned about moving to Idaho and how expensive it is going to be, but it’s also less expensive than paying for school.”
The process of switching from high school to the path of your choice can be confusing and beyond stressful. To help any upcoming seniors who are worried about making this jump, we asked our interviewees to give advice they’ve received from people on a similar path. Jossi Bland, who is attending CLI Conservatory in Southampton, Massachusetts, “has not received any advice,” however she added, “I know many people who have attended the conservatory or are currently at the conservatory that absolutely loved it and said it was an amazing growing and learning experience that will help you decide what you want to do with dance.” Samuel Nuebel, who hopes to receive a bachelors in finance, explained, “I am grateful to have had mentors, including teachers and some older Apopka students (Christian Martinez comes to mind here). There isn’t a clear-cut path to applying to top out-of-state schools, and having people offer advice and lessons from their experience is crucial.” He continued by sharing some valuable advice, “College essays should not be an afterthought. They can make or break your application. After a point, the SAT tests how much you studied for the SAT more than what you know. Grinding full-length practice tests found online for free, while annoying to do, is a tried and true method to get scores to go up by a lot. Differentiate between what matters to look smart/impressive to people in high school vs. what colleges actually care about. I was warned as a sophomore about people needlessly competing for things such as a slightly higher class rank, as the effort required to achieve that might come at the cost of something more important, like putting extra effort into a sport/extracurricular.”
As Apopka High Schools seniors take these steps into their new lives, whether that be with gaining a higher education, entering the workforce, or any other alternative paths, The Blue and White wishes them the best of luck. Congratulations, seniors!
