After high school, the world opens up to many different career paths that can lead to happiness and financial stability. Whether you want to start working right away, go to college, or learn a trade, there are plenty of paths to choose from based on your interests and skills.
A senior from Ipswich High School is taking a different route after high school than most students. Ned Buletza is taking a gap year and heading to Valencia, Spain, to pursue his love for soccer. When asked why he chose this path, he said, “I knew I wanted to keep playing soccer because it is the thing that makes me the happiest in life, and I want to surround myself with it for as long as I can for the rest of my life. This gives me another opportunity to increase my ability and hopefully work towards a pro contract or a Division 1 offer from a college here in the U.S.” This path is definitely different from the typical college route right after high school. When asked what he is most nervous about, Ned said, “I am nervous to be away from my family and friends, and also to be in a new country where English is not the primary language. It will be a huge adjustment to have no family nearby, and nobody at games supporting me. I know it won’t be long until I see my family, but it will be hard not seeing my mom and dad for long periods of time, as this will be the first time something like this has happened to me.” For Ned, it will be tough being away from his friends and family while in Spain for such long periods of time.
Another option after high school is going straight into college with a specific major in mind. Senior Jake Petradelis is attending the University of Rhode Island (URI) and majoring in civil engineering. He is very excited to be going to college. When asked what he is most excited about, he stated, “I’m excited to work on large-scale projects that shape communities and make infrastructure safer and more efficient. Seeing something I design come to life would be really rewarding.” Another big concern for students going to college is living on campus. It can sometimes be expensive, and it’s also a big change. Being away from your family for long periods of time and managing everything on your own can be difficult. When Jake was asked if he’s living on campus and how he feels about it, he said, “I’m planning to live on campus. I’m excited to have more independence, meet new people, and be close to my classes. It’ll be nice to be part of the college community, but adjusting to a new environment and living away from home might take some time.” Although Jake is excited to live on his own at URI, he is a little worried about being away from home for such long periods of time.
These students both claim that they are worried about making new friends when they leave. Ned is worried about trying to make new friends, especially when going to Spain, because everyone speaks a different language. Jake is worried about trying to make friends because URI is such a big school and he is not sure how he will find new friends to start the year.
Although both of these students are taking different approaches after high school, they are both very excited about the paths they’ve chosen. Ned wants to keep playing soccer because he loves it and hopes to earn a Division 1 scholarship from a college in the U.S. Jake is eager to work on larger projects that can help shape communities and make infrastructure safer.
