You’ve made it: senior year. Your graduation requirements are almost met, your ACT scores are finalized and you’re almost an adult, but your last year of high school doesn’t feel quite right. After 12 years of busy work, assignments and tests, you’re bored of the same old routine and you’re nowhere close to figuring out what you want to do with your life. If this sounds like it could happen to you, don’t worry: there are many alternative options available to finish out your K-12 education.
Through South Technical High School (South Tech), the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) and the Early College Program at St. Louis Community College-Meramec, students can jump start their post-high school education in ways beyond the traditional senior year experience. According to southtech.org, South Tech offers hands-on learning in over 20 unique trades, including carpentry, culinary arts and cosmetology. Lucy Upmeyer, senior and cosmetology student, said she loves that South Tech allows her to pursue her interests in hair, makeup and nail art while still being involved with the KHS community.
“I’ve never been one to enjoy [traditional] school that much, but learning things that I am interested in was something that I found important,” Upmeyer said. “I thought it would be helpful to learn these skills [since they’re] something I could see myself doing in the future.”
Through South Tech’s program, Upmeyer can graduate and get her cosmetology license for free. She said this path allows her a lot more freedom since she can go straight into the workforce after graduation.
“I’ll probably end up getting a job in some kind of salon,” Upmeyer said, “But I would love to further educate myself in the field of esthetician or hair school.’
Another alternative option for seniors is the CAPS program, which offers half-day engineering, business and healthcare courses. Bradley Goodrum, senior, said he had always been interested in engineering, but he wasn’t sure if it was something he wanted to study long term. Thanks to the variety of courses at CAPS, however, he said he found his passion for electrical engineering.
“I love all the intricacies that go into it [such as], measuring voltage [in] computer chips and how that corresponds between different metals and alloys,” Goodrum said. “Technology is going to be the future of the world and I want to be a part of that.”
While the CAPS program doesn’t offer a degree upon graduation like South Tech, Goodrum said the class has given him many opportunities to connect with professionals in their chosen field and participate in internships, giving him invaluable experiences that are otherwise not available to most high school students. Goodrum said that the networking skills they learn are invaluable for the next step in their lives.
“[CAPS] was made to help [students] bridge the gap between [high school] and finding a career opportunity,” Goodrum said. “They [teach] you time [management], [professional] etiquette and they’re really good at letting you become your own person.”
Juniors and seniors can also attend classes at Meramec Community College, though this route must be decided on by sophomore year. Unlike South Tech and CAPS, Meramec allows students to earn their associates degree for free while still in high school. Upon graduation, students can attend a state school to finish their degree for two years as opposed to the usual four, saving both time and money. Ella Campbell, senior, said her college course load is much more rigorous than that of a traditional high school schedule, but it gives her more time to pursue her interests.
“[Each class] is only one semester, and I’m learning [material] that would take an entire year to learn in high school,” Campbell said. “[In my calculus class] we cover something new everyday, so we don’t always have time to practice and get comfortable with the skills we learn. [Since] they’re faster, however, I can take more classes, so I’ve been able to explore a lot more of my interests like psychology and biology.”
Though she said the pacing was challenging, Campbell said her experience taught her independence on a level that a standard senior year doesn’t offer. She said she would recommend this route for anyone wondering if college is right for them.
“It’s just about getting a glimpse into how college classes work,” Campbell said. “You’re the one handling your classes, your coursework and your grades, [but] it’s helpful since that’s how it works once you go off to school.”
While it’s sometimes difficult to commit to these experiences when most people you know aren’t doing them, Goodrum said that both the teachers and students are very encouraging and uplifting. He said the experiences he has learned are invaluable, and that it never hurts to sign up.
“We support each other,” Goodrum said. “If you want an opportunity to meet and connect with people with the same mindset as you, the same passions as you, and the same interests as you, this is the place to be.”
