Adult Life Is Here!!
Mercedes Kenitzer
January 31st 2019
​
The end of senior year is the most stressful but also the most exciting. Another step towards adult life, and another step away from high school. Although there have been good and bad times, high school has changed everybody a little bit. Whether they want to admit it or not, high school has helped shape seniors and guide them towards the life time after they walk across the graduation stage. As they get closer, each senior has a different plan for after graduation and beyond.
​
Justin Bachelor: Justin Bachelor’s plan for after graduation is to go into doing infantry for the Army for four years. He is planning on going to community college to fix his GPA, and then transfer to another college so he can major in psychology. He plans to go to college in New York, but has not found any specific colleges to go to. “Gotta pick a dorm”, he says. With his psychology major he wants to become a personal therapist. “I feel like people don't talk enough about what they need to.” His mother is coming down from New York to see him for graduation. Bachelor’s advice is, “Don't give up. It may seem hard but there is always a way to make it through.”
​
Nadia Jordan: Nadia Jordan’s plan for after high school is to go to college. She wants to get more education in order to start her career in the film industry or become an entrepreneur in the fashion industry. Jordan believes, “...the best way to learn is to do it yourself. So I would hope to be able to take off on my own and go my own journey.” She has a lot of family members from West Virginia, Ohio, and here in Georgia coming to see her graduation.“Family means the world to me.” During her interview she says, graduation “is a big accomplishment for me” Jordan’s B average is her biggest academic accomplishment,“It’s kind of a big accomplishment for me to be able to maintain such a high grade average expected from most colleges and not be here most of the time” As a piece of advice before graduation,“Definitely enjoy it, it’s a ride. My freshman, sophomore and junior year have all had pretty good highlights. But enjoy it because it's not going to last forever. Actually focus your first two years, they’re really important to your GPA. Having A’s and B’s really matter, it's easier to get when you start off but it gets harder to maintain once you become a junior or senior. Work the best you can during your freshman and sophomore year, and then enjoy your junior and senior year.
​
Matthew Guthrie: Matthew’s plan for after graduation if to go to college for physical therapy and business. He plans on staying in state but has not picked a specific college he wants to go to. He is on the school’s basketball team whose standing is currently 12-5 with 9 more games left. He plans to have his parents, cousins, grandparents, “...pretty much everybody…” visiting him for graduation. Guthrie’s advice is, “Don’t give up. Once you get to the end, it's not really that hard. It may seem hard now but it's not hard in the end.”
​
Azul Sullivan: Sullivan’s plan after graduating high school, “...is a little different…”. She plans on staying at her dad’s house and begin her journey to gain experience in body piercing and tattooing. She plans on getting an apprenticeship at Virtue and Vice in order to gain her experience and possibly get a job there. She’s looking forward to seeing her grandparents, who have been a big part of her school career, along with her boyfriend, who is excited to see her graduation. She's looking forward to getting, “help and money for the things I’m trying to do.” Sullivan’s piece of advice is, “Don't get caught up with social aspects in high school. It seems like the number one most important thing but if you really have your grades down then that's what counts. I made that mistake during my first few years of high school.”
​
Sebastian Bonito: Sebastian plans on going to college after he graduates high school. He hasn’t decided on what he wants to study for, “Pre-law may be some type of lawyer but not criminal. Maybe botany or some type of pharmaceutical.” He is planning on either going to Georgia State or to the United States Naval Academy. He is planning on seeing his parents along with the possibility of his grandparents and cousins visiting him at graduation. Sebastian’s advice is, “Do your homework, that cost me a few grades. Do your homework keep on top of it, if you can't remember find a buddy to remind you. Find any time to do it. If you can keep up with the homework then you’ll pass any class”
​
Sara McSweenie: Sara says, “I found out in my inner self that I don't want to do school again. I want to do flight attending so I can travel and do photography” But, “If i do end up going to college, I would go to an art school to better my art skills” Sara brought up the New York Film Academy along with SCAD for art as college options, but that she’d have to look more into it. She shared, “I’m going to push myself to do emirates in Dubai, I really want to go to Dubai to compete for a spot.” When asked about graduation she says, “I really just want to see all of the people I’ve grown through high school graduate and walk with me on the stage. I might shed a few tears” Sara has some final words she wishes to share with her fellow seniors. “Thank you guys for supporting me through all my hard times” Sara’s piece of advice is, “One mistake I made was slacking off during my freshman and sophomore years. Do not do that. Please focus your probably going to come into high school thinking ‘Oh my god this is easy, I don't have to do anything.’ You need to put in work, you need to get good grades. Don’t start your junior year of trying, start now. Enjoy it more or less while it lasts.”
​
High school is almost over and the next step to your adult life is here. Just as Orrin Hatch said, “Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning.” Take the last few steps before you go out into the real world and never stop going. You made it.