As the 2020-2021 school year comes to an end, the graduating seniors choose their respective paths for the rest of their lives. As the years go by, more options become readily available for students to choose a path other than college. Whether it is continuing their education in a trade school or heading directly to work, students can choose what fits their tastes. 

One 2021 graduate, Gerald Rich, discussed the costs of college and why he would rather pursue a cheaper path so he would not encounter the debt that many college students face. 

“I do not plan on [going to] college. With the ever-increasing amount of debt falling onto college students, I’d not face a similar set of circumstances,” Rich said. 

With that being said, Rich plans to enter a career with graphic design. Rather than entering himself in college courses, he wants to search for alternative options online. 

“I would like to go into graphic design and maybe game development somewhere down the line. I plan to utilize online resources that are significantly cheaper than college. I hope to get a good enough sense of the field to potentially start with freelance work,” Rich said. 

Today, many education options were forced to go online because of the pandemic. These students now have the chance to choose for more options online in light of the shut down. Another student who wanted to pursue their own freelance career is Megan McCallister. While also maintaining the job they already have, they want to have a freelance career with their art they put online. 

“My plan after graduation is to start working on a portfolio and put it online. I will continue working at my job full-time at Regina Health Center as a dietary aide,” McCallister said. 

The pursuit of a non-college path leaves free-time for the student as less of their time is devoted to set classes. With this time set aside, McCallister also wishes to travel and experience new locations. 

“I will travel around the world also to see new places and enjoy the scenery,” McCallister said. 

Similarly, students may take a gap year to travel and think about what they may want to pursue. Taking a gap year would relieve the pressure of deciding a major for college, where to attend college, or even if college is the right choice. 

Graduate Spencer Jones decided that he wanted to take a gap year of two years before attending the college of Brigham Young University (BYU). 

“I’m actually going on a mission [trip] before college. I’m going to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for two years, and then I’m going to BYU,” Jones said. 

Jones’ motivation for going on a mission trip to Buenos Aires is because he wishes to spread the word of his faith as it has impacted him in his life. 

“I want to spread the gospel because I feel like it helped me in my life, and I want to share the joy I felt from it to others,” Jones said. 

Jones will use this gap year experience to pursue a goal that is important not only to his college, but also his faith and contentment in his life. After he has completed his mission in Buenos Aires, Jones plans to major in mechanical engineering in 2024. 

Gap years do not always have to be accompanied with college afterwards. During that gap year, one can decide to further a career rather than think of a college education. Connor Radcliff wants to take a gap year of one year until pursuing a career. 

“I plan on taking a gap year and then becoming a flight attendant with American Airlines,” Radcliff said. 

Attending college does not have a set time in life or a certain way to achieve it. While being a flight attendant, Radcliff wants to invest in an online college for a degree. 

“Then, I will do online college to get my degree in special education,” Radcliff said. 

Radcliff’s plan can be helpful to those that do not want to devote all their time to getting a degree before being employed. In an environment they are familiar with and a steady pay, these students can keep their jobs into the future until they want to pursue other careers or options. Students like Stella Barker and Riley Barton are already employed and continue to work in those surroundings until they want to do something else. Alternatively, many students from Revere want to go to a trade school to receive fundamental training in carpentry or other helpful trades.

Graduate Joshua Ferrar wants to attend a nearby carpentry school to receive this kind of training. 

“I am planning on attending Northeast Ohio Carpenters school after graduating, where I will learn the basic skills to become a residential carpenter,” Ferrar said. 

This apprenticeship and training center will allow Ferrar to effectively have direct contact with the career he wishes to pursue. These skills not only have real world application, but can offer good paying jobs directly in the field after education. 

Another graduating student Nick Gayner wishes to pursue carpentry. 

“After school I’m looking to pursue a career in carpentry because it’s my passion. I’ve been building since I was twelve years old. My grandpa was a carpenter, and my dad is also a handyman, so I’ve grown up around it,” Gayner said. 

Gayner is going to a nearby carpenters guild to learn more about carpentry and further his passion. 

“Luckily, there is a journeyman carpenters guild on Cleveland-Massillon Road, which is a four year program where I look to learn all the tips and tricks of becoming a carpenter,” Gayner said. 

Similar to Gayner, Helene Martin had thought of pursuing a career that she is passionate about, and her idea of what she was passionate now changed recently. 

“I first was thinking about being in a career with animals, but then I realized how much I love the cosmetology world and skin care. I do all the typical esthetician things on myself such as skincare, waxing and makeup,” Martin said. 

After practicing for her career for so long, she now wants to attend a school to become an esthetician in a short amount of time. 

“I want to go to a school called Brown Aveda. It only takes about a year of school, and I can immediately become an esthetician,” Martin said. 

Another student that wishes to pursue career education is Reagen Andersen, who wants to go into a career in real estate. 

“I’m not going to college, but instead I’m taking real estate classes on Hondros College online and finishing a test. If I pass, I get a real estate license,” Andersen said. 

After Andersen gets her real estate license, her goal is to join a brokerage and continue her career from there. 

“My hope is to get the license sometime in August. After that, my goal is to join a brokerage and start my career as a realtor,” Andersen said. 

 Graduate Dylan Petersen talked about his childhood aspirations and how that contributed to a career he wanted to look into, as he dreamt to be a chef since childhood.

“My plans for after school are to continue my career in culinary as a chef and soon open a restaurant like nothing you have ever seen before. I plan to do this by using my knowledge of food and my skills in the kitchen to better pursue the path that I have dreamed of since I was a little kid,” Petersen said. 

His thought is similar to many other students who feel they do not need the experience of college to pursue their dreams. Haley McEwen, who wants to be an electrician, wants to pursue her goal instead by going through an apprenticeship program. 

“After graduation I plan on attending Akron JATC to get my apprenticeship to be a licensed electrician and work for an electrician company,” McEwen said. 

Once she trained under this apprenticeship program, she wishes to go to a lineman’s school. A lineman helps with the delivery of electricity to schools and businesses through power lines. 

“Afterwards, I will travel down to Albany, Ohio, to attend the lineman’s school and become a lineman’s worker,” McEwen said. 

No matter what profession, college is not the only option to pursue after high school. Some students in high school already have proficient education and merits from high school to go straight into the world of work. For example, Matthew Carol, who won first in Ohio for Computer Applications, in the Future Business Leaders of America competition is planning to directly enter work. Other students who are going into the world of work include Joseph Csuhta, Sam Culver, Dante Dietz, Spencer Evans, Mason Fee, Jordan Fegancher, Michael Gillette, Kaleigh Judy, Mackenzie Judy, Isaac Lorenzo, Dominic Markovitz, Jeffrey Olson, James Steiger, Lauren Steiger, Eva Perna, Tyler Tessmer, Jacob Kline,  Jacob Oppenheimer, Trevor Soful and Adam Garratt. Students like Jacob Soukop who were already employed and will continue to do their work full-time. Others in this graduating class have decided to take a gap year, including Emily Scheel and Sarah Thomas. 

Students that go to college are just as noteworthy as those who do not. Not going to college provides a widespread selection in whatever way a graduating student may want to go. A student could take a gap year, go straight to the world of work or take an apprenticeship for an interest-specific career. Congratulations to Revere’s graduating class of 2021, wherever the students plan to go, completing high school is a feat in itself. 

(Please note: names of graduates entering the professional world were provided to Lantern by the guidance office, as reported to them by the students themselves.  Thank you to Mr. DePompei, Mrs. Long, Mrs. Rion and Mrs. Reinhold for their help with this article.)