Many students come to a point in their high school life where they start wondering what their future will look like after graduation.

For a while now, SHS has been finding different ways to help students answer their questions of what happens after high school.

Samuel Hanley, English teacher at SHS, has been teaching a class called College Readiness. The class delves into the skills needed for college getting internships and personality inventory.

He teaches students how to prepare for when they might feel like they’re out of options. Things like military, vocational school and other solutions come into light for many teenagers.

Hanley says that SHS makes sure students are aware of all the possible pathways that they can take after high school. Not only do staff at SHS give information about future career choices to students, but try to share with parents as well.

“I think that the biggest issue is that students don’t know that they can get better at making plans after high school,” Hanley said.

According to junior Anna Cagle, who is a student in Hanley’s College Readiness class, resume building and readiness skill development are some of the important topics taught in that class.

“It’s a fun class,” Cagle said. “A lot of the things you don’t think about whenever you read (College Readiness) actually go on in this class.”

Guidance counselor Briana Underwood encourages students to choose their career pathways using the resources available. Things like Naviance and career exploration tools are helpful for choosing their future interests.

Another way that SHS offers guidance to students is through Central Nine. It is a partnership that provides different programs to high school students. Many students are able to get some college credit while attending C9. Students decide after if they want to go into the workforce or continue their education and training.

C9 offers many career training options like Health Science, Human Service, Manufacturing, Construction and many more.

Underwood says that the school tries to bring career fair programs and partnerships of all different career backgrounds to help students figure out what their interests lay in.

For juniors and seniors, SHS has a local partnership through Goodwill Industries called Jobs for American Graduates.

According to Underwood, JAG students are also able to compete with other students throughout the state of Indiana for scholarship opportunities. They also take students on field trips and help them with practical skills like resume writing, public speaking, job interview skills and more.

“When they do go into job interviews or get into a career, they’ll already have that confidence,” Underwood said.