Pictured Laken Warr As the school year comes to an end, there are many seniors that will continue to go to school, and many that may take a break, or even some will go straight into their careers. Deciding what to do after high school is a big decision. Many high schoolers don't know what they want to do after they graduate, and are stuck between many decisions.
Graduating high school is a big deal and something most teenagers have been looking forward to ever since they were little. According to the Utah System of Higher Education, “There are about sixty percent of females and only forty-four percent of males that will continue their schooling [after high school].” As a senior at Bear River High School, Laken Warr is planning to carry on with school in Texas. While going to school Warr plans to continue participating in rodeos as she has done in the past. This is a big journey and very exciting for Warr. She said, “ I am going to school to get a degree in agriculture business.” Agriculture plays a big role in Warr and her family's lives. She will attend school for two years and if she enjoys it, she will continue schooling for another two to get a higher degree. Warr said, “I am definitely scared of going so far away from home but it will be a good experience.” Some students plan to take a break before diving into higher education. It gives them time to think and figure out what they want to do. Aubree Anderson has decided to take a break for the first little bit and continue to work. She started going to Bridgerland for dental assisting and decided that wasn't what she wanted to do, so she changed her career path and started going in another direction. Others may take a break by serving a mission, like Nic Summers. There are also many students who will just get right into their careers and start working to make a living. For example there are a few boys who have graduated early and started lineman school (electrical training) or some have gone and started working at Nucor. Whatever students decide to do after graduation holds a big adventure ahead of them. Make sure to wish the graduating students the best of luck in their new chapter of life.
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Being a foreign exchange student is depicted as being a magical experience and always having a great time, but that’s not always the reality. Jamie Luque, a foreign exchange student at Bear River High School, said “I do miss Spain and I’m excited to go back.” But he made it very clear that he is happy that he got the chance to come to America and meet all of the people here . He mentioned how scared he was of having to go to a new school and meet all new people. Luque said, “ It's different here because in Spain we still had to wear masks.” Back in Spain they are still extremely strict about covid. Schooling after covid in Spain changed so much as Luque said, “We have to stay in the same class and the teachers come to us.” The students there don't get to change classes and have to stay in the same class for the whole day. They also have to go to lunch at different times and can't interact with other students outside of their class. Covid had a big impact on the foreign exchange students and their program. Most of the programs were shut down Spring 2020 until Fall of 2021. Due to covid some programs were obligated to shut down permanently. Luque was lucky enough to come and see what schooling is like in a different country. As Luque said, “I have met some friends and will be sad to leave them.” As Luque has lived here and went to school he has met so many new people and made lots of friends. While he has lived here he played football and loved it! Luque says, “ If I didn't play football I probably wouldn't know half the people I do.” Even with the obstacles that the foreign exchange students have to go through after covid they still made it work and got to make the best out of it. Photo credit: Avery Folkman Being a high school student can always be challenging. You have school, responsibilities at home, your social life, and not to mention having a part time job on top of all of that. Most teenagers have jobs that they don’t even enjoy. In our school there are several students who have broken away from the norm and instead of working for someone else, they work for themselves and do what they are passionate about.
Avery Folkman, who runs an online clothing boutique called Shop4U, said, “I loved the idea of never having to work for anyone else. I never have and I never want to. This really pushed me to start my own business. I wanted to be my own boss.” Another one of these many young entrepreneurs is Kadynce Olsen. She runs a small online business that sells handmade gemstone rings called Jaded Gemz. “I was bored and wanted to try something new…and I loved it!” Olsen said. Creating a small business is a great way to get money, but also to truly find something you love to do. A small start that can create a long term business that you can build up over time and become very successful. Olsen even shared her future plans for both her and her business. “I hope to start a ring workshop someday where I can teach others how to build their own ring!” Folkman also shared some future plans. “Currently we run my company out of an extra room in my house. Eventually we want to renovate our back shed into a place for me to be able to do everything.” They both have loyal local customers, but are also managing to bring in customers from all over Utah! Starting a business can be very rewarding, Olsen said “My favorite part of creating my own business is not only making my own ideas, but others [ideas] as well come to life.” Folkman has her favorite parts also, “ There are so many things I have loved about creating my business so far. I personally pick out every single thing I sell in the shop. One of my favorite things is getting all my products delivered and unboxing it all!” But with every triumph comes challenges. “The hardest part has probably been learning what works and what doesn’t, such as different techniques and tools. It has taken a lot of time and money to perfect some things!” Olsen said. Making products isn't an easy task. Investing in yourself to create that perfect item takes time and money to ensure that your customers are happy with what they have received. It takes experimenting to build both your business and your products. Our Bear River Bears are so talented and creative. When they set their mind to something they can accomplish anything. If you want to bring out your creativity and create that small business you have been interested in for a while then what's stopping you? Folkman and Olsen totally agree with that statement. Olsen said, “The advice I would give is don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!” Folkman said, “START NOW!! If you have a good idea, pursue it. Don’t worry about what others might think. You never know how it might turn out!” So start that small business that you have been hesitant about and show the world what you can offer! High school graduation is always a major stepping point for seniors: it represents moving into the world as an adult, and how they will do and who they will be. Anxiety and stress often come with the idea of graduation. The transition from being a kid to being an adult can be hard for everyone. What does it look like for our seniors this year? Along with “what do you plan to be when you grow up?”, seniors also consider the daily changes and stress that comes with graduating high school. In a survey conducted at Bear River High, seniors were both excited and worried about graduation: “yes I’m ready”, “Yes I’m 100% ready to graduate”, “I’m nervous”, “Graduating is scary”. It seems that the anxiety is high for some, but overall seniors are happy to be moving on with their life. Many seniors are planning to go to college, but a few aren’t. One student said; “No, because I already have a job with my future career.”All others said that they planned to go right after graduation or at some point in the future.
Even with the excitement of graduation, the stress of making it to graduation can sometimes make it harder to appreciate. A lot of students are pressured in high school to choose right now: “What are you going to be?” There comes a lot of pressure being a senior, knowing that at the end of the year, that’s it: unless you’re going to college you’re being thrown into the real world. The final classes in the last trimesters can be the worst for some students; they can be the difficult classes, the last ones that the student needs to graduate. The uncertainty of a passing grade can add to the anxiety. The family pressure is also a major thing for many students, their families wanting them to succeed and being told “consequences” if they don’t. A lot of pressure comes with graduation. The stress and anxiety of graduating hasn’t changed much over the years. Several local parents shared their ideas of graduation. Mike Maxfield, owner of MM Woodwork and Design with a child in elementary school said about doing things differently before graduating: “I probably would’ve taken more college classes, but other than that nothing has changed.” Austin Maxfield, Mike’s spouse, said nothing much changed: she was done and wanted to get out as soon as she could, out of school and her parent’s house. They both said they were wanting to graduate and move on. So it would seem that the desire to graduate is not restricted to one single generation. Graduation can be stressful, but it is also exciting. Some people want to graduate and head to college and some want to just move on. Although things have become more and more complicated with conflicts in the US and outside the US, the want to move on and continue with their life and/or education has never ceased. Mike said that he is worried about this generation due to a lot of them not having high work ethic, though he knows that some will likely be able to make a job out of technology. We all have high hopes for this generation, that they will do well and succeed. |
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February 2024
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