Alternative path for high school graduates

Photo by Dave Herholz, via flickr

 

Lauren Bana/Staff Writer

Over the years, people have lived under society’s template for how to become a successful individual. We are to graduate from high school, graduate from college, and obtain a career that follows along your chosen path.

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to secure that predestined template, and, most of the time, the template is denied because of a difficulty to procure the necessary finances.

Now, according to an article in the Sun Sentinel, a bill has been passed to ultimately change America’s previously conceived formula for entering adulthood.

The bill allows for two new directions when attending and graduating high school. For teenagers who wish to attend one of our nation’s top universities, there will be an “Academic Scholar” certificate that they can achieve in order to show colleges that those particular students wish to engage in a more intense academic experience.

The bill, also, and most interestingly, declares that high school students can now choose a diploma focused on a specific career so employers would know that, “in addition to meeting minimum academic requirements, high school graduates had received intensive training in a specific career, such as information technology, automotive repair or health sciences,” as explained in the Sun Sentinel article.

This part was the most fascinating to me since it really implies that you don’t have to go to college after you graduate. I really believe that this change is going to seriously alter the next generation of students.

They are going to have a different outlook on how to make a living in being allowed an alternative choice after high school.

Of course, this will also almost certainly establish the disconcerting issue of whether or not this program will create problems with parents.

This new alternative for high school students will ensure a higher rate for graduation, but will also definitely ensure a higher rate in young adults rejecting the possibility of furthering their education in college.

Senior Jake Moffett agrees that this can occur.

“There will definitely be fewer kids going to college, and more kids working hard after high school,” said Moffett. He also confirmed that he would have certainly considered that option in high school.

So, with these things in mind, it does seem to be a great alternative for kids, who otherwise wouldn’t be interested in attending college, but also presents the risk of them losing an opportunity for a higher education.

 

lauren.bana@fiusm.com 

 

Source:

1. “New career-oriented high school diploma could boost grads’ job chances,” via Sun Sentinel