As students are starting their senior year, the class of 2024 is starting to get their post-graduation plans figured out. While some students are planning to take the traditional route of going to college, other students are taking a different path. “92% of the 2023 graduation class continued their education at some sort of college,” Senior High counselor Vicky Haas said.
Not going to college is considered an untraditional decision to make after high school. A current senior in the class of 2024 has found their calling in the military. “The main drive for not attending college directly after high school is that I feel, as a young man, I can grow my mental and physical capabilities quite a bit in the military in many different ways as well as mature myself and my goals in an environment like that,” senior Simon McMahon said.
McMahon thinks college is very beneficial and plans to attend some sort of college after he serves in the military. “Although [college] will be a different experience, I am hoping that I will go into it with a more developed mindset and a more developed goal,” McMahon said.
McMahon’s plan may be different than the average student at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, but he knows what he wants to do and is pursuing that. Haas states that there is nothing wrong with not going to the traditional college. The most common reason is that a student knows exactly what they want to do. “Some students elect to go to the military and they know that that’s exactly what they want to do,” Haas said.
Everyone has a different reason for why they choose the path they take after high school. McMahon talks about how he feels that his mindset will be more developed and he does plan to go to college later in life. Jason Burnside, also a senior at BSM, has other reasons and plans. Jason similarly plans to head to the military after high school. His reasons fall more into him not enjoying school and not thinking he is getting the most out of his life. “I don’t like school. That’s pretty much it,” Burnside said.
There is not a specific plan that everyone is supposed to follow after high school. Everyone has their own plan and does what they think is best for themselves. The military can be a great option and McMahon and Burnside have high hopes for what it will do for their future.