Chances are most students go to school for twelve years, graduate, and go to college for another four years, except for a handful of students who have plans for something slightly different. Here at Taylorsville there is a good number of students that are looking at traveling, internships, humanitarian work, missions, or military options after high school.

Mr.Timpson, one of the school counselors, said “The greatest number [of students] will probably be serving missions.”

One thing to keep in mind is that not all students who have these plans are skipping college. Many of these activities are providing students with better options for college.

For example Camilla Quezada, a junior student at Taylorsville, is going on a humanitarian trip to a village called Bor Kaew in Thailand with a group called “Youthlinc” to help build a school.This trip is important to Camilla because of all the help she can give to them.

She said “I’ve done a lot of service here in the Salt Lake Valley and I have a whole lifetime to continue to do service and good here, but it gives me an opportunity to go help people that I would otherwise would have no access to helping… I want to help them understand that they’re loved and that there’s value in education.”  

After the trip Quezada is hoping to be accepted by Utah State University. It is no doubt that this humanitarian trip will help Quezada when applying for colleges but that’s not the only unusual thing you can do after high school that will help when applying for colleges,

Many students will be going on mission for about two years which also entails humanitarian work. Others like those in JROTC, will join the military so as to receive assistance for college expenses.

Internships however may not always lead to college.

The internships will last anywhere from three months to a year and once that’s done there are two options, going back to school or going straight into that profession.

Junior Sierra Suapaia, is focused on a radio broadcasting internship after high school. This internship will not lead her directly into college, eventually she wants to acquire a college education but first she hopes to be a music producer. Suapaia has been preparing herself for this by taking music theory and orchestra classes since middle school and has dabbled with song writing. She says that radio broadcasting industry usually opens doors for those who want to produce music.

Students are trained to think that a college path is the only way. However after high school there is a wide variety of choices. Many that help with college, and a handful student at Taylorsville have recognized that. Counselors advise that students have a quick transition of high school to college as possible so they can adapt easily. Really it all depends on the student.