Senior Transitions is a course at Mount Gilead High School that covers many skills and topics that our seniors need to know before heading into the next step of their lives.
The class just finished a “Then and Now” project where each student interviewed an adult that had graduated from high school years ago. In the interview, they asked questions about memories from the last six months of high school and the first six months of their journey into their lives.
Our seniors found out that many times the plans that their person had made, had changed. The seniors also got a chance to find out what might have been considered “cool” back then, along with fashions, music and what they used to do for fun. The project culminated in a visual presentation that included then and now photos, references to pop culture from that era, and what was the latest technology at the time.
Many of the seniors learned some interesting facts about their parents or relatives that they didn’t know. Some were surprised to find out that high school discipline was often handled differently back then with the “board of education” being used to warm the seats of unruly children in school.
Other students learned what “cruising the strip” meant and what a mullet really looked like. Many seniors learned that their parents and relatives were just as nervous about their future as they might be now. Many concluded that life caused changes in plans with almost every interviewee, but new plans were made along with new dreams.
• Kelsey Kennon interviewed her grandma, Constance Kennon, who graduated from Newark Catholic High School in 1970. Kelsey learned that intramurals were the only girls sports available back then, while today there are many varsity sports available.
• McKenzie Bump interviewed her mom and learned that her mom’s plans right out of high school are very different from what she is actually doing today. She said that if she could go back and make changes she might, but overall she is very happy with how her life has turned out.
• Bridgette Milllisor interviewed her mom, Crystal Millisor.
She said, “My mom always wanted a family and felt that she should have children so that she could focus on raising them with her full attention and then start a career. My mom always wanted a career in medicine and so she went to nursing school. I plan on attending college to become a dental hygienist and if not, I still want to be in the medical field. I’d like to have a family after college and after I have a steady career.”
Her mom is currently a medical office manager for Central Primary Care.
In conclusion, many of the students found that there is a bigger push now for some type of post-secondary education in order to gain a successful career, and that might not always mean a four-year college but rather some type of training or technical school. While having a plan is great, it is often better to have a plan B because life doesn’t always go as planned.
