Written by: Jaidyn Gayman, Staff Writer
BITTERSWEET: As the 2nd semester starts to pick up speed, the Class of 2023 is getting ready for life after high school.
As a senior myself, the most frequently asked question by any adult is: “What are you going to do after high school?” Some students can answer this question with ease, while many others feel unsettled at the thought of the future. Especially as college decisions begin to come out, the months leading up to graduation is a vital and nerve-racking time for many seniors – a time that can dictate the answer to this question. Even when knowing their future, however, do seniors feel ready to have their high school career come to an end?
Fellow senior classmates share their feelings on this topic. Christian Cuellar was eager to answer, he comments, “I’m looking forward to graduating, as it’ll allow me to grow into a more free and mature person.” Highschool, to Cuellar, “was just a way for me to get my foot in the door and teach me how to be with and around other people.” Yet, he “wouldn’t trade anything for the memories” highschool bestowed; Poly allowed him to meet “the most important people in [his] life,” with Cuellar “thankful for the experiences that [he’s]been so lucky to have had.” Cuellar then elaborated on his plans past graduation: “ I’m looking forward to college life and for specialized learning,” Cuellar stresses, “I want to be able to find a career and be self-sustaining.” Cuellar seeks to be “a professional in a certain field, where someone could approach him with a problem and he could already have a solution.” These comments from Cuellar unify the Class of ‘23, aligning with fellow classmates’ opinions.
Another senior classmate, Fiona Kuderman articulates her feelings as well. “After high school, I plan on going to RCC to get my general education,” Kunderman emphasizes, “I’m doing this so I can save money and pursue my real dream of moving to Washington State and transferring to the University of Washington or Western Washington University with a major in art and eventually becoming an art teacher.” Kundermanthen goes on to explain her feelings about leaving high school as “very bittersweet,” admitting that she feels “unprepared to have such a significant change in her life.” Yet, while Kunderman is partly scared because she values “the routine school provides for” her, she is “very excited to get a new set of peers and to have new surroundings.” According to Kunderman, “the change that comes with graduating is terrifying but liberating, and I’m trying to remind myself of these facts when thinking of the future.”
A note for seniors, whether you know the answer to, “What will you be doing after high school?” or not, nothing can prepare us enough for what the real world has in store. These thoughts may rattle us, but you are not alone when going through this transition in life. So for the time being, take this time before graduation as an opportunity to have fun and learn with your fellow classmates on this journey into adulthood, as you enter a new chapter in life.