Here at SHS, many unique classes and opportunities are offered for students, and in particular, seniors. But there is one class in particular that is unlike the others. School to Career, a course run by former social studies teacher and now head football coach Brandon Winters, includes about 70 SHS students.

“School to Career is a program that allows students that are seniors and have fulfilled their graduation requirements to leave school, basically half-day, so they can go work jobs to prepare them for their future careers, to save money for college, or whatever they want to work for,” Winters said.

In School to Career, students are required to work a minimum of 20 hours each week, along with attending school.

The School to Career class is different because it is not included in the traditional block schedule SHS has. This course meets once a week, and students cover a variety of topics with Winters.

“We do job and career training throughout the week,” Winters said. “We’ll work on things like building resumes, interviewing skills, how to stand out to employers when searching for jobs.”

As a result of joining the School to Career course, those involved learn how to better prepare themselves for life in the real world and how to increase their odds of being offered the job they wish to have. There are, however, certain parts that could entice students more. For senior Hunter Taylor, two reasons stood out above the rest.

“I joined School to Career because I had a job, and I had enough credits to join the School to Career class,” Taylor said. “I kind of just wanted to get out of school early, and I could go to work after school.”

This course has the benefits of earning more money and getting out early, but what gets overlooked is how this course has the potential to cause problems for students.

“You have to be a good time manager,” Winters said. “Some of the freedoms that come with School to Career can lead to people goofing around a little bit and procrastinating on assignments and things like that.”

While School to Career is open to any seniors who qualify, it may not be for everyone. Those involved must find a way to make time for school work along with working a job while succeeding in both. This in itself is another lesson School to Career teaches: how to balance a job, school, and anything else life throws in order to prepare for the future.