As seniors enter the last half of their high school careers, they are busy making plans for the next chapter of their lives.

The go-to person at TAHS to help students with this very important decision is Career and College Counselor Kelsey Broadfield.

“I love helping students plan their futures,” Broadfield said. “When I was in high school, I had very little support in figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. I was a first-generation college student from a small town, and I definitely struggled with the college application process, how to choose a career path.”

According to Broadfield, most seniors are still finalizing their post-secondary plans, so she doesn’t yet have complete data on the class of 2024, but she was able to share her data from last year’s graduating class.

In the TAHS Class of 2023, 62% of seniors planned to continue their education after high school at a post-secondary school.

Of that group, 47% planned to attend a four-year college or university, 10% planned to go to a two-year program, and 5% planned to pursue a non-degree/post-secondary certification program.

Despite the rising cost of a four-year degree, many seniors choose to go to college because it is statistically the most proven and reliable way to increase long-term job opportunities and develop personal and professional skills that will lead to a career.

Senior Austin White has applied to Liberty University, Penn State University, and Carnegie Mellon University. He chose these schools based on what he learned from his siblings, and based on their rank in his preferred majors.

“I am looking forward to gaining some more independence and making memories with new friends. I am not looking forward to the amount of homework that accompanies the college experience,” White said.

If White goes to Carnegie Mellon University he plans to major in computer science. If he goes to Liberty or Penn State University he says that he will major in engineering. He has taken some of the high school courses that apply to these majors and has taken multiple dual-enrollment courses at Tyrone.

Senior Ally Black has applied to many colleges but is hoping to go the college and military route by attending the US Military Academy at West Point where she wants to major in defense and strategic study.

Black hopes that going to West Point will help her reach her long-term career goal of being an FBI agent after she serves in the military. We asked Ally what her biggest struggle would be.

“I am least looking forward to not being able to contact my family for the first month or two at West Point,” Black said.

Black has prepared for by taking multiple DE classes so when she attends she can focus more on her major rather than taking multiple gen-eds.

Tyrone senior Garrett Miller is a senior who plans to attend a two-year program after graduation.

Miller plans to attend the Sonoran Desert Institute in Arizona for gunsmithing. They offer a two-year associate degree in firearms technology consisting of 60 semester credit hours.

“They have an online program to start. After that, I plan on going to the school in person for my second year. I would really like to get a job working in the gun industry, ideally at Benelli, a US company that specializes in shotguns.”

About 4% of last year’s graduating seniors planned to go into the military.

Senior Angel Jimenez is one current Tyrone senior who has already committed to the military. Jimenez will enlist in the US Marine Corps. Jimenez said that he is excited about the challenge and would like to serve his country.

Last year 29% of Tyrone’s Class of 2023 planned to go straight into the workforce after graduation.

This year’s senior class also has a significant number of students who are planning to work full-time after graduation.

Many seniors said that they will choose to go straight into the workforce because it offers them the immediate opportunity to earn a steady income, gain real-world experience, and provide stability and structure.

Senior Riley Corl is one current Tyrone senior who plans to go straight into the workforce after high school. She said that she wants to avoid debt get a head start in her life and not take up time in school.

Corl says she plans to work at Penn State Altoona. One of the things she is not looking forward to is the hours they might give her.

“I chose the place of work because it is conveniently close to where I live. I am looking forward to the money and benefits and having a secure job,” Corl said.

She tried to prepare herself in the best way that she could but mentioned that school hadn’t prepared her for a job as much as it does for college.

No matter what path seniors choose, it’s important to consider all the available options and to make a plan, according to Broadfield.

“My job is to help all Tyrone students with their post-secondary plans. I am here just as much for students going into the workforce or military as I am for college-bound students,” Broadfield said.

If they have not done so already, Broadfield encourages all seniors to meet with her so she can help them narrow their choices and make a plan for their post-high school career path.

Students and parents can get in touch with Ms. Broadfield by emailing her at  [email protected] and call her at (814) 684-4240 ext. 3730.