The transition from high school into adulthood is a huge step. For this year’s seniors it is even more daunting with the presence of COVID-19 which altered half of their junior year and their entire senior year. 

With vaccinations on the rise, the hope for those going to college is increasing in that maybe they might be able to have a somewhat normal freshman year experience. 

Senior Jordan Wesling intends to attend TCC for two years before transferring to another college or university.

“I chose this route because it’s more affordable, and I can stay in the area to be closer to family and friends,” said Wesling. “I’m very grateful that the pandemic hasn’t changed my plans for after high school.” 

Wesling is nervous about the newfound responsibilities that come with being an adult, as well as having to do more things on her own.

“I feel like I am very underprepared for life as an independent adult,” said Wesling. “However, this new independence is very exciting for me because for many years I have wanted to do things my own way- that’s why this whole transition is so stressful. I can’t wait for my new freedom, but I have no idea how or what to do with it.”

Senior Marian Herboso feels as though she may not be ready to step out into the adult world.

“Finally graduating after years of anticipating for the moment honestly feels weird, and it’s made me miss being a little kid and not caring about the world,” said Herboso. “I can’t go back though. I’ll just have to make mistakes and learn from them as I grow older. Hopefully it’ll be productive and I’ll actually gain adulting skills. My decisions are going to have more of an impact on my future; this is it, I write my own story now, I influence the path I take. That’s a pretty heavy task to place on a seventeen year old so quickly.”

Herboso just recently committed to The University of Virginia, and plans to major in Psychology in the College of Arts & Sciences. Afterwards, she also hopes to go into graduate school to earn a PhD. 

“I’ve been interested in clinical psychology and even job-shadowed those in the field, but we’ll see! I’m keeping all career possibilities open!” said Herboso.

Herboso appreciates the fact that UVA will “challenge her to the appropriate level and keep her close to home” while also providing the college experience and flexibility for her degree program.

“UVA also doesn’t force me to declare a major until my second year, so if I have a sudden urge to change my career path it won’t feel like the end of the world. Also, financially, staying in-state is a LOT better,” said Herboso.

Family is also a very important aspect in Herboso’s life, and contributed to her choice of college location. She was uninterested in any school that was too far for her to be able to travel back home easily.

“I’ll be away from my family for a significant amount of time and I’m interested to see if I can function without them,” said Herboso. “I’m super ready to build my own schedule and hopefully keep up my time-management skills, and I’m extremely pumped to be able to study what I want. There’s so many things I’ll get to do without having to rely on others and I’m super hyped!”

Senior Anna Watson has a bit of a head-start on life compared to the typical high school student, as she is already completely independent. 

“I would say that I’m pretty prepared to be on my own as I am right now. I am moved out of my parent’s house, I pay rent, and I work a part-time job five days a week,” said Watson. “I’m pretty much full-time with both school and work so I already have a lot of practice with managing my time and being independent so I think I’ll do well once college comes.”

Watson plans to attend Old Dominion University in the fall to get her B.S. in Criminal Justice, with intentions of studying the legal system. She wanted to make a decision for college that was cost-effective, and good for her future career. However, even with all of her preparations, there are still some things she worries about.

“I think I’m most nervous about failing and doing poorly in college. There are so many horror stories of it just being too overwhelming for people and I’m worried that it may be that way for me,” said Watson. “But, I’m excited for the amount of freedom that I’ll get in college. In high school we’re still supervised and set to a schedule, but in college we have more freedom with the times of our classes and just in general, so that’s something I’m really looking forward to.”

As graduation gets closer, so does the arrival of new beginnings. The class of 2021 faced a harsh reality as upperclassmen, but this will strengthen them for the challenges and life experiences to come. The difficult times may seem never-ending, but they are certainly not the end.