The end of the school year is quickly approaching and with that, MHS is sending its seniors off into the world. There are many options for graduates to pursue besides just normal college. Some students choose to go into a trade, such as welding or construction. Others may choose to go straight into the workforce or take a gap year before continuing education.
Many students use their high school days to get a jump on building towards a career through programs like Area 31. Senior Kayden Fisher attended the Area 31 Fire and Rescue program and plans to use the skills he learned to continue into college.
“I’m going to go to Ivy Tech Community college to get my EMT certification and then be a firefighter. The job itself is helping people and saving lives and that is really amazing to me and I love doing that,” Fisher said.
The program Fisher is planning to do is a 9 month class where students take a state exam to get their EMT certification. This is a prime example of Mooresville students using opportunities they have in high school to build a career.
Junior Dilara Goecman takes courses in the Biomedical pathway to help her in her future schooling to become a surgeon.
“After I graduate I plan to go to IU and med school. I plan to become a surgeon. I love helping people and I believe to make the world a better place you change one life at a time,” Goecman said.
Human Services teacher Alicia Richhart teaches classes that are a part of the human services pathway where she teaches students about parts of life outside of high school. She teaches aspects of the real world to her students like how banks work and how to behave in a job.
“I try to teach them to take responsibility for themselves and the work they need to do. My goal is to make them hirable,” Richhart said.
Another program MHS has that lets students get a jump on their careers in Work-Based Learning and Cooperative education. Students use this to get into jobs like teaching where they can see if it is the right fit for them. They can also do cooperative education where they can start working while still in high school. These students have 3-4 classes and then go to work or an internship to build their experience.
There are also a variety of clubs where students can get life experience as well. Key Club and Best Buddies, for example, give many participants opportunities to build relationships and practice public speaking for a variety of reasons. French teacher Jennifer Butler also has a club for students aspiring to be teachers to prepare for that endeavor.
The high school has a wide variety of pathways that cover a range of potential careers for students. These include but are not limited to journalism, business, agriculture, and communications.
Students who are wondering what their steps should be to build a career should talk to their guidance counselors. Their are many opportunities for students to pursue in high school, it is just about finding the right fit for them.
