There are plenty ways to succeed after high school. Students have been going to school for years upon years. Once students graduate where do they go? What do they do afterwards? Many will go to college and pursue a career within their major, some might go into the military and others might just go into the workforce. Everyone is different and everyone has a different path. Sometimes people will start with one of these and then end up in an incredibly different place than they started.

A majority of those who graduate go into the military. The Air Force, US Navy, US Army, Marines, and US Coast Guard are the five branches of the military. To go into one of the branches, people go to enlist as juniors and then the summer after junior year, they start basic training. The military option is great for those who want to serve our country and who can mentally and physically handle it. Once someone goes into the military they will know if they want to do so or not.

The workforce is for the students who are ready to be out in the world. Not everyone wants to go to college, many want to start life right out of high school. In a study, it says that one in three young adults go to work rather than school, but few have college degrees. While looking for a career, there’s always several ways to find at least one. A website called, Career Cruising, is very helpful. On there, it shows almost every career and how much they make an hour and even what they make per year. The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) also shows many jobs A-Z, what they do and their prices. Students who take vo-tech pick their favorite activity/job to learn. They learn about the skills and what it takes to work as what they want to do.

Many people will decide to go to college but end up thinking that it is not what they want to do for so many more years. Going into college and finding out your major is very stressful for some. Sometimes teenagers can get so stressed because of school, especially college since it is efficiently harder than high school when people were constantly on students for missing work when college isn’t like that. College and grades are all determined on how he student does themselves.

Different paths include taking a gap year. Taking a gap year can be quite risky for some students but for others, it’s a great way to cool down for a year and possibly be more focused on work. Many students do not feel comfortable enough to start college right after high school. Some would like to take a year longer to just cruise through colleges and really have time to focus on the one they would like to go to without the added pressure. Taking a gap you really determines on what they really want. Some might want to take a gap year but then never go.

No matter which path one takes, they will always reach success at the end. Whichever road someone takes, they’ll will succeed in what they do.

GCCTC’s Only Female Welder is JM’s Senior – Katelynn Messina