As the door to high school closes, doors of opportunity will open for the graduating class of 2013 and each student will continue his or her journey. The traditional choice after high school is college. However, some are choosing different paths from traveling to joining the armed forces.

Senior Chris Ruth plans on traveling overseas and joining the Army after graduating high school.

“Joining the Army has always been a second choice for me, and the decision to actually join was very spontaneous,” Ruth said.

During his time in the Army, Ruth will be working on mechanics and engineering, fixing vehicles that break down in action. Ruth will be leaving for Kentucky for basic training in the fall.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the world and learning about new and different cultures, and by joining the Army I know I can achieve that,” Ruth said. “I’m really nervous about the first few weeks overseas. It’s going to be very different than living on the beach. It will definitely be a shell-shock.”

Many of the seniors in this graduating class are attending college in the fall, with most going in-state and some out-of-state. Senior Christen Killgore plans to attend Southern Connecticut State University.

“I decided to go there because they have a really good special education program. I want to attend college right after high school, because I want to start working on my degree right away,” Killgore said.

Killgore says concentrating on special education is something that is incredibly important to her because she feels she can make a difference in children’s lives. Each state has different requirements for an individual to become a teacher, and Killgore is unsure at this time where she hopes to teach permanently.

“Living off of the Outer Banks is what I’m looking forward to the most. I’ve never lived anywhere but here,” Killgore said. “To see what it’s like in another state away from everything I’ve ever really known excites me. I am not too worried about anything. I’m really eager to experience whatever life has in store for me.”

Guidance counselor Susan Lee said students often choose to not go to college for several reasons including the costs, bad grades or the uncertainty of future plans. If their parents didn’t attend college, it may affect a child’s plans for college as well.

Senior Anna Buchanan is among those.

“For the first semester out of high school after the summer, I’ll be working and saving up money. During that time I’ll be applying for Youth With A Mission (YWAM), which is basically training to become a missionary. You learn to teach and then you travel doing so,” Buchanan said.

Buchanan plans to stay on the Outer Banks until she saves up enough money to explore and venture off on her own.

“I realized college wasn’t for me just yet. I was accepted at all of the colleges that I applied to, even my top choices, but I just wasn’t expecting it to come up as quickly and I wasn’t ready. I thought really hard and prayed about it, and I just got this feeling that I wasn’t ready. There was something else I needed to do first,” Buchanan said. “Not everyone needs college to make a life for themselves. I’m taking the unbeaten path.”

Following an uncertain path can be intimidating. The emotions that graduating students have vary from person to person. Some express happiness while others sadness.

“I’m the type of person that always has their lives planned out, so I’m a little weary that I’m not sure what life exactly has in store for me after high school but I’m excited to see and experience all I can,” Buchanan said.  “I may not have a plan for myself, but I know God has a plan for me.”

Senior Kya Endreson plans to travel to Germany after graduation for equestrian training.

“I’ve been riding since a really young age, I was home-schooled for awhile to continue my riding and I want to get back into it full swing again,” Endreson said. “I will probably do some schooling while I’m in Europe, but mostly riding. I’m excited about gaining the experience of traveling and living in another country and being able to be on the international equestrian scene.”

The graduating class of 2013 at FFHS has a total of 184 members, with a variety of future plans.

“When I get out of the Army I’m going to attend Universal Technical Institute (UTI) and get my automotive degree,” Ruth said. “No one really expected me to actually join the Army, but I did.”

Senior Hailey Fretwell said she is happy to be graduating with the class of 2013 and is proud of her class.

“Our class really came together this year and I am happy to see that,” Fretwell said. “I think it is going to be hard to leave everyone next year, but I am excited to see what the future holds for all the graduates.”

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