As the semester comes to a close, freshmen begin to stress about their first set of finals, while there are some seniors who are happy because these will be their last set of finals. There are around 15 students a year that chose to graduate early. December 19 will be their last days as a high school student. Some students are choosing to go to school, some to work.

“I’m going to CLC because I decided to because I want to get a head start on my career. I’m going to school at CLC and doing two years there as pre-vet,” said senior Bianca Mejia-Fernandez.

The school usually gets an average of 10-20 students who graduate early. The students have to meet the 23 credits before the end of first semester.

“There are specific requirements for each core area. The ultimate goal, and most important piece, is to achieve your 23 credits a semester early,” said principal Dr. James Roscoe.

Because the required number of years for core classes such as English or Physical education, is four years, early graduates take more than one English class their senior year.

“There’s plenty of English electives that count for that credit. They work that out with their counselor. They’re in close contact with each other,” Roscoe said.

Many students chose another path, other than school or a career after graduating early.

“Some students chose to graduate early so they can work and save up for college,” said associate principal and director of curriculum Jeff Schagrin.

An alternate route some students take includes working to save money up for college.

“I’m taking this opportunity to go to work full time, to save up for college next year,” said senior Kelsie Gaines.

No matter what they choose, early graduation is a great opportunity to get a jump start on careers or education.