With Indiana adopting a new diploma last year, Fishers High School created a new graduation system called Networks. The goal of the Networks program is to provide students with opportunities to explore their interests in future careers. Each network is designed with the intent of preparing students for a future career.  

“Every network got one week of focus from Freshman Seminar,” Sturgill said. “So freshmen went through every single one of these networks and learned about them.” 

In addition to learning about Networks, the class spends the first month introducing students to Fishers High School to help freshmen transition into high school. 

“We want every single kid to pick their network,” assistant principal Chrissie Sturgill said. “They’re going to pick basically a major within their network.” 

According to the Hamilton Southeastern Schools website, each network is comparable to a specific college or school, with each pathway serving as a “major” within that network. To prepare students for selecting a network and pathway, freshmen are required to take a class called Freshman Seminar. 

Beyond career exploration, each network fulfills state-required core classes for graduation, including English, science and physical education. 

The networks are also integrated into existing International Baccalaureate and AP courses. According to the HSE Networks webpage, these fall under the category of “credentials of value,” meaning they can count as college credit hours. Other experiences, such as internships or industry certifications, also fall into this category. 

“It’s like a more personalized diploma,” Sturgill said. “That personalized diploma should be more reflective of what they want to do after high school.”