Taking the next step: Graduates look to life after high school
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There will be no more pencils and no more books for this group of recent Warren County High School graduates ? at least for the summer. By the time fall rolls around, many will be off to college to further their education, or getting a good start right here in McMinnville at Motlow.
Project Graduation is traditionally the last formal gathering for the senior class and their guests, but this year it was second to last. With rain postponing graduation from Friday night to Saturday, Project Graduation took place before the actual graduation ceremony.
Project Graduation is an opportune time for seniors to talk about their future in between singing karaoke and running through obstacle courses.
Emily Cantrell plans to attend MTSU where she?ll focus her education on nutrition and food science.
?I try to eat right and work out at the Civic Center,? said Cantrell, who indicated making the right food choices can be difficult.
So if a friend breaks out a bag of potato chips, would she grab a handful?
?If they were Baked Lays then maybe,? said Cantrell, who has a busy summer in store. She plans to work at Locke?s Green Hill Market three days a week and also help her parents at Pine Crest Nursery where she doesn?t shy away from physical labor.
?I enjoy working outside,? said Cantrell. ?Plus you can get a good tan working in a nursery.?
Ayana Longa will spend her share of time outdoors with her job at Sonic. She?s worked there about a year and this will be her second summer, which is always a hectic time.
?They keep us running around,? Longa said of her Sonic customers.
So what Sonic menu items does she deliver more than anything else?
?I?d have to say cherry limeade is the most popular thing,? said Longa. ?Either that or the cheesesticks. We have really good cheesesticks.?
After the summer, Longa says she will attend ETSU to major in biology. She says her love for animals is the reason she picked biology.
Aaron Boles says he?s headed to MTSU to study graphic design. He says one of the hardest things about leaving high school is leaving his girlfriend behind. She?s a member of the class of 2009.
As for his summer plans, Boles says work will be a priority.
?I have a job at Sav-A-Lot,? said Boles. ?I?ll work there for the summer unless I find a new job.?
DeeJay Roland says since this is the summer of his senior year, he wants to hang out with his friends as much as possible. But he also wants to land a job so he can start saving for college.
?I?d like to find a good factory job so I can start saving some money,? said Roland. ?Maybe then I?d be able to start college in January.?