What do you want to be when you grow up? That is the question that students have been asked ever since they first began kindergarten. For many students, their answer has changed and morphed throughout the years. However, as students transition into their junior and senior years of high school, they often begin to seriously consider what major and/or profession they may want to pursue in the future. 

One way in which students can develop a better idea of what they want to do is by taking classes with their interests kept in mind. For students interested in potentially pursuing a career as a scientist or doctor, they may center their schedules around taking classes such as biology, physics, and chemistry. Or for students who are more interested in visual and performing arts as a potential career, they might be more inclined to join WVHS’ choir, band, or orchestra.

 Mia Combs, senior, has set her sights on possibly being a political science major in the hopes of one day becoming a lawyer. In order to prepare herself for college, she has taken advantage of all the classes offered at WVHS that fall under her category of interest. 

“I have tried to take all of the US history classes that our school has to offer in order to learn more about that topic. I took AP US History my sophomore year and AP US Government and Politics my junior year. These topics have always interested me so I wanted to make sure that I set up my classes around being able to take these courses,” she commented.

Apart from simply taking classes offered at the school, some students have taken their pursuit of potential careers a step further and are a part of outside activities. Some have taken the opportunity to volunteer, work, and have an internship in order to gain exposure to the potential industry or area of study that they are interested in. 

Anthea Goh, senior, has had an interest in going to school to become a veterinarian since elementary school. Outside from taking classes that she will most likely take in college, such as AP Biology and AP Chemistry, Goh has also spent much of her time outside of school working/shadowing at a local animal sanctuary.

“I currently volunteer at a farm sanctuary, so I get to see and work with all kinds of animals. Most of what I do is basic helping, like feeding and cleaning out the pens. In the past I have also shadowed at vet clinics.” Goh went on to talk about how having hands on experience has shaped what she wants to do. “I think that overall, getting to work with the animals has really solidified my interest in being a veterinarian. Currently, my plan is to just start off with working with smaller animals, then maybe going into a more specific branch of veterinary medicine.” 

The future often feels daunting, especially when students are having a difficult time deciding what to do with their lives. There seems to be such a stress placed on figuring out what you are going to do after high school and how you will make a career out of it. However, by taking advantage of taking different courses and putting yourself out into the real world, students might just find the major or occupation that they have been looking for.