Before they step foot in the high school for their first class, eighth graders make a big decision for their future: the career Pathway they will choose for the next four years.  

The freshman class was the first to learn through the new Pathways experience, which is a system of learning that helps prepare high schoolers for future careers. 

“They wanted to create change for high school kids and redefine what the high school experience looked like,” college and career facilitator Meagan Halphin said.

There are four schools that students can choose between: School of Business, Leadership and Entrepreneurship; School of Design, Innovation and Technology; School of Health Sciences and Services and School of Public Services and Communications. Each prioritizes a different industry or career field.

“I thought it was a good idea because I can pursue what I want to do earlier than most people would,” freshman Drew Lynch said.

Despite the positive feedback on Pathways, there were some concerns. 

“My concern is that you’re choosing a Pathway when you’re really young when you want to explore a lot of different avenues,” art teacher Chelle Cox said.

Students also had concerns on deciding what they wanted to do in their future at such a young age. 

“I thought it was kind of dumb, just doing something I might not do down the road,” freshman Brock Fowler said.

But choosing a Pathway doesn’t quite have the same stakes as choosing a college major or a career path.    

“You’re still getting taught the same standards as you would in a traditional high school experience,” Halphin said. “But the hope is that your teachers are also looking through the Pathway lens.”

In a Pathway, students would still take core math, science, English, social studies and electives, but the goal is for core teachers to relate it to the specific Pathway. 

“The hope is if I’m interested in business, and I’m learning about some businesslike aspects in my math class, I’m going to pay more attention,” Halphin said. 

Pathways is still new to the school, and staff and students are adapting.   

“We’re in our infancy, so it’s going to keep building and getting better,” Cox said.