With every dismissal bell comes the end of another day of high school. The quiet sounds during tests, the loud conversations during lunch, and the never-ending lectures become memorable moments that students can look back on as part of their high school experience. However, as those moments fade into distant memories, the question of what comes next looms.
As the time comes for learners to consider their lives beyond the squeaky floors of the gym and the plain walls of the classroom, they come face-to-face with a decision that could alter the course of their lives. Whether selecting a specific college or desired career path, the future can feel both exhilarating and intimidating, leaving students to decide how to shape their dreams into their reality.
When deciding how the remainder of their lives will play out, many students discover that their passions can be found in the various ways they are inspired. Junior Rylen Wass, who is planning on attending college for nursing, reflects on how his love for the medical field began.
“I think what made me want to go into nursing is my family; a lot of them went into nursing,” Wass said. “My mom realized [the] insurance side of it [healthcare] was more her style. My grandma did a lot of RN [Registered Nurse] and LPN [Licensed Practical Nurse] type of stuff, so just kind of following in those footsteps.”
Beyond the familial aspect, enthusiasm for a desired occupation can stem from exciting opportunities. For junior Aurora Straight, her hope to attend a college to study aerospace engineering, as well as partake in the Air Force Academy, came from an experience she will never forget.
“I got interested in it [piloting] when I was really little, and I got to go meet a bunch of pilots through an aviation show…I was like, ‘This is really cool,’ and so I got really interested. Through that, I was able to find the Civil Air Patrol, which is where I got to start learning how to fly,” Straight said.
While some students may not be able to pinpoint an exact moment when they knew their love for a subject would convert into a career, many recognize the gravity it holds regarding their future. With her involvement in the performing arts at De Soto High School, senior Savannah Hendry knows theater will take her far.
“Honestly, it [theater] has just become a center point of my life, and it feels like something I could maybe take as a career,” Hendry said.
With all of the chaos that comes with college selection and career planning, finding opportunities to enhance specific skills has become a vital part of high school. Whether that is taking additional dual credit courses offered outside of the high school curriculum or enrolling in different career-specific camps to learn more about an occupation, preparation for life beyond the high school classroom is key.
For Wass, earning his Certified Nursing Assistant License (CNA) has been more than helpful in developing the necessary expertise it takes to become a nurse.
“I think CNA kind of gives you the basics for everything,” Wass said. “When you’re dealing with residents every day, listening to them, showing empathy, it gives you an overall idea of where you’re going to be at in nursing.”
In other circumstances, various tactics beyond extra classes prove to be essential to the career preparation process. In Straight’s case, a training program designed for future Air Force officers guided her to the idea of aerospace engineering or piloting as a career.
“Over winter break, I got to go to an intensive training camp called “Encampment.” There, we were able to learn a bunch of stuff about rocketry, aerospace, and leadership. It essentially worked like boot camp, but it was really cool because it prepares you for what the Air Force is like and the kind of fitness you need to have to fly a plane,” Straight said.
With courses and training measures being implemented in many students’ college preparation processes, simple successes can be just as helpful. After earning two perfect scores for a musical theater singing entry and a duet singing piece at the Kansas Thespian Festival in Wichita, Hendry reflects on the impact these recognitions can have on her future.
“It’s definitely an honor, and I think it really makes me grateful for my last KTF,” Hendry said. For my solo piece, I got to perform at the Thespy Showcase. But my duet was specifically special because I got to perform it with [my friend] Carson Hanley.”
With graduation on the horizon, juniors and seniors alike are looking forward to the futures they can build for themselves. However, underclassmen may be looking for ways to make their college dreams and their career hopes come true. In this case, wise words can come in handy.
To help future medical-career seekers find success in their respective fields, Wass shares what he feels is most important to consider.
“I’d say don’t lose sight of what you’re wanting to obtain,” Wass said. “I’ve noticed a lot of the time with CNA [that] it was a lot of studying…but not to lose sight of what you were looking for and what you want to achieve because the biggest thing is the passion you came in with.”
Based on her experiences, Straight explains that students can find an affinity for certain activities beyond the classroom setting. She notes, most specifically, that it simply takes a bit of searching.
“I think it’s really valuable to find things outside of school that align with your interests because, especially for things like college…finding activities that align with it is really easy if you do Googling, you talk to people, and then you can meet really cool people and have connections that will get you where you want to go in your adult life,” Straight said.
While the tail-end of high school may be filled with endless college applications and non-stop career research, the pressure to make decisions that affect students’ futures is mounting. Despite potential uncertainties surrounding the college pathway or career success, the passion, preparation, and dedication Wass, Straight, and Hendry have shown for themselves is transitioning them into one of the biggest turning points in their lives. Whether that is preparing for nursing school, practicing aerospace engineering work, or rehearsing music for a big audition, these three students are recognizing that, as they prepare for the final high school bell to ring, they can grant themselves endless tools to shape their desired futures. However, in the end, it is up to them to figure out how to use them.
