As graduation draws ever nearer, seniors at Howell are getting ready to put their post-graduation plans into action. The Class of 2025 will graduate on June 7 this year, and there is no doubt that there will be something wonderful in store for each of them.
Howell has a reputation for its strong athletics, with many seniors planning to continue their sport in college. One such student is senior Jackson Vaughn, who will be continuing his baseball career at Wichita State University.
“I’ve played baseball my whole life and it’s always been a dream of mine to play in college,” Vaughn said.
In addition to furthering his baseball skills, Vaughn will be studying Business Administration with a minor in Finance. He cites the Howell business department as his inspiration for choosing this career path.
“The business department at Howell is amazing; I love taking their classes,” Vaughn said. “It is something I can see myself doing in the future.”
Although travelling abroad may not be the typical destination for incoming college students, for senior Ella Bartnick, it is something she loved the idea of doing. Following her high school graduation, Bartnick will be participating in a program with Syracuse University that gives students the opportunity to take classes abroad. She will spend her first year of university doing one semester in London and then another in Prague.
“I thought as I’m entering my college years, college is all about discovering yourself and your place in the world. So I feel like putting myself in that foreign city where I’m forced to know myself and know what my path should be would be a really cool experience,” Bartnick said.
After her year abroad, Bartnick intends to continue her studies at Syracuse by double majoring in Communications and Marketing.
“I don’t see myself ever staying in Missouri, so after my study abroad I’ll be back at Syracuse University, which is in New York, and then hopefully I’ll end up in New York City for my career,” Bartnick said.
But college isn’t always the right fit for high school graduates. Senior Audrey Herndon found this to be the case. After her graduation, Herndon will be going into a career in real estate.
“This year I’ve decided to start my career in real estate, and in September, I’m going to start a real estate program and get my license to hopefully go right into the workforce,” Herndon said.
Herndon decided that college wasn’t the right path for her and took the initiative to pick something that she was truly passionate about to start her career faster.
“I just think that college isn’t for me, and I really, really, really, like business. So, I [decided] that instead of wasting time or going into debt on college, I should go into what I really like best, which is business,” Herndon said.
Out of all the possible opportunities for high school seniors, one that often receives some of the most attention is the possibility of attending medical school. Senior Emery Mullenix is going to make this possibility into a reality by pursuing a career in nursing.
“After high school, I’m going to Mizzou to be a nurse and then after my four years of college I’m going to plan on being a travel nurse,” Mullenix said.
As the end of high school approaches, Mullenix is excited for what her college years will bring.
“I’m looking forward to new adventures and meeting new people in college. I’m excited for that,” Mullenix said.
