For many, a university or college is the path after high school. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, 62.8 percent of 2024 high school graduates ages 16 to 24 were enrolled in colleges or universities. However, college isn’t the only path that Fishers High School students are taking.
Students at Fishers High School listed different reasons as to why they are choosing not to go to college and take an alternate path.
“I enjoy building things with my hands, and being creative is one of my hobbies,” said senior Rowen McGee. “Doing something I enjoy is important to me.”
Others discussed the idea that college is not for everyone. Some just don’t love school, and others need a different enviornment to learn in that a college or university might not offer.
“I chose this path because college definitely wasn’t for me,” said senior Sabrina Sacchini. “I’m not a school person and I love the environment and work schedule hairstylists have.”
Fishers High School offers students the ability to have internships throughout their high school careers. These programs are designed to allow students to gain knowledge about a field of work they are interested in and get hands-on experience in that field. For some, it allows them to find opportunities after high school as well.
“I’ve gotten far more opportunities to learn and make connections than I ever would have on my own,” said senior Eli Six. “My internship puts me in a position where I already have multiple full-time opportunities.”
It has also allowed students to save money. Some of these internship opportunities offer them the training they would otherwise need to pay for after they graduated.
“My high school program has also saved me $20,000, as well as an extra year of schooling I would have had to do post-graduation,” said Sacchini. “My internships have set up future jobs and learning for me.”
Not only do students save money by not attending a college or university, but students who get a full-time job right out of college get a head start financially, too. According to the U.S. Career Institute, The average salary of a high school graduate in the United States is around $42,590 per year. When that gets added up over four years, the traditional time it takes to complete a college degree, students who immediately go into the workforce will have made an average of $170,360.
“Earlier financial freedom is by far the main benefit,” said Six. “Already having a four-year jump on everybody makes a big difference to me.”
Fishers allows their students to explore a variety of different paths after they graduate, and students say they felt supported and encouraged by the offerings at Fishers.
“For the incoming freshman, I feel Fishers does a good job offering trades and talking about them just as much as college,” said Sacchini.
