As seniors finish their final term in high school they start to wonder what they might do after they graduate from their twelfth year. Some already have a plan for their post-high school days while others may still be searching for their ideal path.

“I plan on attending USU for a semester before turning in my mission papers and serving my mission,” said Kelsey Hales, senior. “Once I get back from my mission, I will go back to school and work towards becoming an editor/author. That way if I’m struggling to write my books, I can be an editor for other aspiring authors.”

According to a study conducted in 2021 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics around 61.8% of U.S. high school graduates from ages sixteen to twenty-four enrolled in college.

“After high school, I’m going to go to Southwest Minnesota to go to college and study family and consumer science, but for now I’m going to continue working at Kidsville,” said Macie Chuckwuba, senior. “I want to do some wrestling in college and when I come back I want to be one of the wrestling coaches for the school.”

Instead of college, students may also pursue their own interests, working jobs that do not require college experience, traveling, starting their own business, interning, or joining the military as just a few examples. Bestcolleges.com conducted a survey saying that fifty-five percent of high school graduates are either unsure about attending college or plan not to enroll.

“I’m starting at BYU this fall. Then after serving a mission, I plan to study abroad at the Jerusalem Center,” said Allison Hurst, senior.

While the thought of life after high school may be terrifying at first, there is a vast world of options that the graduating class will have a chance to explore.