Students at Grayslake North every year decide if they want to graduate early. It’s rare for students to graduate early, but some students decide to make that decision based on how many credits they’ve already achieved and if they feel it is the right time to start their college education early.
Senior Jack Farias decided to graduate early because he wanted to start his college education early, adapting to the college lifestyle, and begin to go into the automotive industry. Farias is going to attend the College of Lake County for two years and is planning to transfer to a university to focus on the automotive industry.
“It feels nice to be able to start college early and feel ahead of other students, and graduating early is a great opportunity for other students to get ahead. If you have the opportunity to graduate early, you should do it,” Farias said.
Senior Tammy Porras has made the decision to graduate early as well because she is ready to start a new path into college and feels it would be a good experience to have. Porras is planning to attend the College of Lake County for two years and then transfer to a university to continue her education.
“Graduating early would be a good experience to have, and I’m excited to see what’s next in my path. Being seventeen in college may be weird, but I’m excited to see what the future holds and I want to meet new people,” Porras said.
Porras believes students that graduate early are different for everybody.
“Everyone’s experience is different, and I feel like the students graduating early are doing something not that many people get the opportunity to do. I feel that when a student gets the opportunity to graduate early, they get a chance to focus more on their college education and get more hours for work and save up money for universities in the future,” Porras said.
Counselor Tim Sheehan believes early graduation can be a good thing for the right type of student, depending on what the student’s interests are and future plans for that student are. Sheehan further explains that older students that did make that decision to graduate early came back to visit him and tell him that graduating early really benefited them and gave them a head start on their future.
“Students need to make sure they are truly ready to leave high school. If they are graduating early, Students are still developing throughout the second semester of their senior year, so a student must make sure they are academically and emotionally ready to take on the challenges of life after high school,” Sheehan said.
As a counselor, Sheehan always tries to keep the best interest of his students in mind and look at different angles
“If your future plans do not require an eighth semester of high school and graduating early makes sense, I will do my best to support your decision and advocate for your wants and needs,” Sheehan said.