Seniors: On to the Next Chapter
Seniors who are a part of the class of 2024 at Leonia High School this winter are starting to think about their plans for after graduation and submitting college applications. As a senior myself it is very difficult at 18 years old to think about what you want for the rest of your life and what you want for your future. I used this article as an opportunity to speak to other LHS seniors and see what their dreams and aspirations are for after graduation.
Senior Teodora Zivkovic’s dream is to study Criminal Justice law and be a prosecutor after attending John Jay in New York. According to Tea, “waiting to hear back from your dream school is mixed full of emotions. I’m excited and also nervous.”
Ethan LaBianco’s ’24 plan for after high school is to continue his academic and athletic career at Alvernia University in Pennsylvania. He wants to study Physical Therapy. His biggest struggle was deciding whether he wanted to continue his athletic career in college, “It was a very difficult decision for me because I was unsure of myself being able to balance college baseball at a college level and then balance my major which is pretty intense, but I knew my heart wanted to play baseball.” Ethan will be finish committing within the next month; Congratulations Ethan!
Melakai Aligo ’24 applied to 20 different schools. She is applying to schools all over, mostly on West coast, but some on the East coast as well, including a few local schools. Mel is keeping her options open and trying out new things by applying to a variety of schools. Melakai still is unsure of what she wants to major in and says, “The hardest thing for me is figuring out what I want to do and major in. I’m nervous [about making] the wrong decision. One major I am leaning towards is business.” Her ultimate dream school is the University of Washington. Some Advice Melakai would give to the underclassmen would be to “start thinking about what schools you want to apply to and definitely keep up with your junior year work because it catches up to you quickly.”
Throughout high school, I never really thought about what I wanted to do or who I wanted to become, but this year I was able to identify my passion. My heart was set on working in a school, helping others, and making a impact on people’s lives. I knew I also wanted to do something sports related. I decided that I wanted to become a Physical Education teacher, and eventually work my way up to be an athletic director. I am applying to a handful of schools in the state of NJ, but my dream school at the moment is Monmouth University, a beautiful campus located by the beach.
Some advice I will give to all the seniors out there is whether you want to go to college or not, celebrate your accomplishments, be proud of yourself and who you become.