Other Options
Not all students plan to attend a college or university for different reasons. Those reasons may include money issues, disinterest, or lack of necessity. Alternatives comprise of going to Broadway or L.A. to pursue various entertainment careers, working, taking part in family businesses, traveling, church missions, trade schools, and one that became more popular at Perry recently: military. Senior Will Taylor is planning on attending a trade school in Arizona where his main focus and studies will revolve around photography. As for senior Nate Carlton, going into the Navy is his choice.
Carlton states, “Being an American, I feel like I have an obligation to serve.”
Carlton wants to serve in a multitude of areas.
“I’m still doing the service, but I’m not front lines,” he explains.
Trade School
As the school year is coming to an end, most seniors have made the decision to continue their education in a university or community college. There are other options, although sometimes are overlooked, such as trade schools, or otherwise known as vocational schools. Trade schools are institutions set up especially for students to study a particular trade and all the facets that are encompassed. Schools can range from teaching cosmetology or culinary arts to carpentry and plumbing. These types of schools specialize in teaching job-specific skills related to the chosen field. Trade schools often set up their curriculum for “fields that have the best current and future growth potential,” as explained by the Association of Career and Technical Education. These institutes are beneficial for students who have already decided to pursue a career that deals with a certain trait or specialized field. ITT Tech, UTI Auto Tech, and Le Cordon Bleu culinary school are some of the common vocational establishments among a myriad of others.
Studying Abroad
The feeling of graduating is exhilarating yet nerve-racking. Many students are ready anxious to start something new and move on from high school, while others still are not ready to enter the real world.After barely entering adulthood, students are expected to go from living under their parents’ roof and rule to managing their own classes, time, and life. Studying abroad, or attending college in another country, is a great way to acquire more experience and maturity. “Study abroad experiences are most often the most formative educational experiences that a student can experience,” English teacher Rhonda Duering explains.
Duering is accustomed to traveling. She has been to Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Ireland, Kazakhstan, England, Ireland, Scotland, Mexico,Belize, Costa Rica,Chile just to name a few.
“Traveling is such a huge part of who I am that this is amazingly difficult to answer. I am a better person for understanding the struggles of different peoples in different parts of the world. I am also more thankful for what I have here. I love every minute of this life and look forward to my next adventure,” Duering stated.
“There’s certainly a maturity level that the students find,” PHS college advisor Pat Phillips said, “First of all, they have to be all about time management. There’s nobody leading them, telling them where they have to be. They have to make sure that they are following their itinerary, so yes, definitely it makes them a much more mature individual.”
There are different types of programs including: exchanges, faculty-led, and provider programs. ASU, NAU, and U of A, along with some community colleges all have study abroad programs that can be specified depending on the type of degree students are striving to attain.
Art teacher Lorena DeCristofaro attended high school in Mexico and participated in an exchange program in Kingston, MA.
“You get to learn different cultures from other countries, different eating habits, schedules (like breakfast, lunch and dinner were not the same time that we did in Mexico).” DeCristofaro stated. “You get to practice another language. That’s how I practiced my English because I was living in Mexico at the time.You get to spend time and live with another family that is not your own, so it’s really fun.”
Studying abroad has shaped the teachers Pumas know and love. Will you study abroad?
