Graduation is both an exciting and nerve wracking moment for seniors everywhere. With memories of hard work and experiences with friends and teachers, they will have much to look back on. They also have much to look forward to as they meet new friends and experience new opportunities. This year, 23 of Yutan’s seniors look forward to a new journey into college, where they will be continuing their education at four-year schools.
“It’s exciting to get out there and be your own person. No more strict schedules or wondering what I will be when I grow up. The time for me to figure my life out is now, and it’s exhilarating,” said senior Bella Sliva, who plans to pursue worship arts at Colorado Christian University.
The seniors each went through a bit of a process before deciding where they would go. Senior Maddox Wentworth, who plans to major in political science at the University of Nebraska in Kearney, narrowed his options down after some visits to other colleges.
“I visited quite a few (colleges), Creighton, Lincoln, Kearney, Omaha, and I think I liked Kearney, campus and everything. Then I interviewed for some scholarships, so then I got a couple, and I thought it’d be cheaper than going anywhere else,” Wentworth said.
For many of the seniors, money was the big factor that helped them decide which college they would attend. This was the case for senior Kenzie Govier, who plans to major in pre-health at the University of Nebraska in Omaha.
“The cost— it’s very expensive. And when you compare both Lincoln and Omaha to each other, you kind of see that price difference. That doesn’t even include all the tickets, if you want to go to the games, the food, the dining and the rooming,” Govier said. “The cost was the biggest decision factor because I don’t want to have to take out as many student loans in the future.”
To help cover some of these costs, many seniors, looked for scholarships ranging from academics to activities.
“I won vocal scholarships from CCU. I had to do an audition including scales, two songs, and different rhythm exercises,” Sliva said.
Yutan’s guidance office was helpful for many in earning this free money.
“They’ve helped me find a lot of the scholarships. They’ve sent out all my stuff. They’ve helped me pretty much whenever I’ve asked, so that’s pretty easy. They’ve made it really easy to get everything sent out there,” Wentworth said.
Once the cost was addressed, there were other issues for the students to consider, such as being away from home.
“It’s just gonna be different to go to a new place because I’ve been to Yutan my whole life, so going to a new place with people that I don’t know, it’s definitely gonna be different, but I think it’s gonna be a good opportunity,” Wentworth said.
Wentworth is not alone in feeling nervous about being away from home. Sliva also shares similar feelings as she plans her journey to an out-of-state college.
“To be honest, at first I was really excited about that (being away from home),” Sliva said. “I still have some family in Colorado, but I was just really excited like, ‘Oh, I get freedom.’ But now, as it gets closer to graduation time and closer to me actually going to college, it’s like, ‘Oh, wait, I’m not gonna have those random conversations with my dad before he goes to work. Oh, wait, I’m not gonna be able to just see my friends. Oh, wait, they’re moving away too. Oh, I’m gonna have to make so many new friends because I am gonna have no one where I’m going.”
One way Sliva plans to meet new friends is by living in the dorms her first year of college, which she believes will be a great opportunity to work with others.
“College is important because it teaches you new things, but I don’t mean just classes. I mean how to share your space with other people. Say you’re an only child, and then all sudden, you have to share with these people. You’re gonna learn how to live with other people. And then you’re gonna learn how to interact with new people because there’s a lot of different people from different backgrounds,” Sliva said.
Even those who plan to live at home, like Govier, are looking forward to meeting new friends and taking advantage of new opportunities.
“I’m looking forward to going somewhere else. Meeting new people will be very exciting, and I think having more of that freedom of not having to sit in school for eight hours a day and just taking the classes that I really want to take will help me for my future job,” Govier said.
One way Govier plans to get involved in her college is through joining a sorority.
“I plan on joining a sorority or some type of club to stay involved and meet new people. I am still looking at which ones to consider joining, but so far that is my plan going into college,” Govier said.
As graduation approaches, the seniors look forward to their future adventures in college and feel confident in this first decision about their future.
“You don’t necessarily have to go to college for what you want to do. There’s people I know that are going to a two-year for what they want to do, and I think that’s great, and will work out great for them. I just think personally, for where I want to go, four years is the right decision for me,” Govier said.
