MVHS Graduates Prepare To Step Into Adult Life

Publication Info: Imperial Beach Eagle & Times

Publication Date: August 9, 2019

Graduation has passed, and the Mariner Class of 2019 is beginning their journey into adulthood. They all have one thing in mind as they enter this new phase of their lives: success. There are a multitude of paths that lead to this goal, and their job is to discover the right one for them. Whether that be a four-year university, a community college, enlisting in the military, or just diving head first into the workforce, there is really no wrong answer. Let’s look into some of the recent graduate’s plans.

Jacqueline Nieto has chosen the military as the next step in her life. She will be enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. She said, “Getting my degree will be put on hold until I’m able to fit college into my schedule. As of right now, I’m unsure if I’m going to make a lifelong career out of the military but I’m planning on preparing myself to both separate when my service commitment ends and to re-enlist in order to make a well informed decision when the time comes.”

Nieto wasn’t always planning on enlisting. In fact, she didn’t come to this decision until about three months before graduation. She was inspired by service members she talked to in one of her classes. She said, “I’m at a point in my life where leaving my current environment is completely necessary for my own growth. I actually spent a lot of time thinking about my decision prior to reaching out to any recruiters and weighing my other options. Ultimately, I realized enlisting would be the best decision I could make for myself right now and my initial feelings of needing to find someway to flee changed into realizing what I can and will do to benefit my later career and community.”

She chose the Air Force because it makes a point to emphasize the importance of obtaining a degree in order to advance in ranks. She urges people who may be considering this route to do their research, and make sure they are well informed before they make any decisions, as well as reaching out to recruiters to learn more about each branch.

Clara Dackermann will be attending Humboldt State University in the fall. Humboldt is a four year university located in Arcata, California. She said, “I’ve always wanted to go to a university and get the whole college experience. I knew the best way to do that was to get a job and save money, then apply to the universities that align with my interests.”

Dackermann will be studying zoology during her time at Humboldt. She has always had a love for animals; she currently works at I.B. Pet, and spends much of her time volunteering at local animal shelters. When asked where she sees herself in five years, she said, “In five years, hopefully I’ll have my bachelors degree and either continuing my education or getting a job in a field I enjoy.”

Jeremy Longworth will be continuing his education at Southwestern Community College. He will be pursuing an associates degree in business administration. He is also a member of the Southwestern Water Polo team. He said, “These are not my long term plans. I hope to be done with this in two years and proceed to transfer and obtain a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university.”

It’s okay if you aren’t completely sure what you want to do in life, and Longworth knows that. He said, “I’m not 100% certain I’ll stick with business throughout the entirety of college, therefore most of the classes I’m currently enrolled in are general ed. I decided to choose this path because I didn’t want to make any long-term commitment with a four year [school] when I was still uncertain about what I wanted to do with my life. I find it kind of crazy how people expect seniors in high school to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives.”

Zachary Hastings is taking a gap-year to travel and expand his horizons before furthering his education. He is currently living in Cabo San Lucas with his girlfriend Samantha McNall, a graduate of Coronado High School. He said, “We plan on staying here for six months, working and enjoying the true culture of this city. Then we plan on heading to [Samantha’s] hometown of Auckland, New Zealand, and traveling that beautiful country using the money we made in Mexico. After that, we are hoping to visit some tropical islands like Indonesia or Tahiti. After traveling for an entire year, we plan to head back to San Diego and attend community college where I will be playing water polo and getting a job as a beach lifeguard in my hometown.”

During high school, Hastings wasn’t sure what direction he wanted to take his life, so he kept his grades up in order to keep all of his options open. He finally decided that college would always be there for him, but that the opportunities that he had to travel may be few and far between, so he chose to pursue a life of adventure. When asked what advice he would give to anyone thinking of taking a similar path, he said, “I would tell them that you only have one life, so don’t wait. Live in the now and do what makes you happy. At the end of the day, if you have a smile on your face you are doing it right.”

All of these graduates have chosen very different paths, but each one will lead them to their very own version of success. The bottom line is: you have tons of options, and you should be open to all of them. It’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out yet, but use the support of your loved ones and mentors to help guide you in the right direction. Follow your own path, even if it isn’t the conventional one.