One of the hardest challenges of high school is figuring out what you’re going to do once it is done. As the school year comes to an end, many seniors are feeling the pressure of making decisions and finalizing plans. While most students commonly follow a four-year college plan, some students have post-high school plans unlike any other. 

The choice to continue school after high school is common, but for seniors like Marshall Schrader, their school is not as typical as the rest. This fall Schrader will be attending the Kansas City Art Institute. 

They plan on attending for four years to get an animation degree as well as study illustrations. 

“What I’m looking forward to the most for my post high school plans is to increase my animation skill and work hard on my art skill,” Schrader said. 

Schrader is going to miss their MN art teachers, but is looking forward to living far from home and following a new career path. 

“Animation is a long process which should be more taken seriously as a job and as well it has been my dream since I was a little kid watching movies that are Disney films and Dreamworks,” Schrader said. 

Everyone’s post-high school plans look different. Senior Grant Hunsaker plans on attending the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland this fall. 

Here, Hunsaker will continue his track and field career as well as attend school and naval training. He is excited to start at the Naval Academy despite the nerves of moving onto the college stage. 

  “I’m looking forward to meeting new people and I’m going to miss all of my friends and coaches that made me who I am today,” Hunsaker said. 

  The four-year path to graduation is a long road for students, but for junior Lyla Bogner; she has decided to take on graduating a year early. Her plans after high school have started early as she will be taking a gap year and then attending Colorado University in 2024. 

She will be studying horticulture therapy as well as competing for the school’s forensic’s team. 

“The community is also very nature based and that is what I want to surround myself with,” Bogner said. 

Bogner was able to graduate early by taking a zero hour and summer classes. She’s glad the early graduation will give her time to make more decisions on her future. 

“I’m going to miss the high school environment of seeing my friends and communities every day but I would never second guess the decision I’m making to graduate early,” Bogner said. 

Overall, every grad’s high school experience looked different. The path to graduation is very diverse, and these seniors have chosen a post-high school plan that’s not so common. But as the seniors start their new journeys; they can all agree that they once shared a community as they were a part of MN’s class of 2023.