These seniors will not be attending a traditional four-year university in the fall.
Instead, they are following less common paths to achieving remarkable and admirable aspirations.
Read about their unique roads to success in the three Q&As below.
Miranda Boyd
Q: What are your post-high school plans?
A: I’m going to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City to study fashion design.
Q: What made you decide to go pursue fashion in college?
A: Taking courses at academy got me more interested and invested. Also most of my family is involved in design related careers, like architecture, illustration, and etc. so I’ve been encouraged to pursue the arts.
Q: What is a common response when you tell people you’re not going to a traditional college and are majoring in Fashion design?
A: Most people don’t think that I can make a real career out of it. Its hard because I feel like I always have to prove that I can. There are a lot more careers in the arts than people realize, in business and technology sectors.
Q: Any advice for kids aspiring to do something non-traditional after high school?
A: Do research test out internships first, or look at academy programs. Fairfax Academy offers a lot of different artistic classes that are all business oriented. But take some sort of class or experience so you know it’s really what you want to do.
Q: What are you looking forward to most?
A: Getting to see my family who live in New York more often will be great. Living in the city, I will also have opportunities to make business contacts. I got the Presidential scholarship so I will have first picks on dorms, internships, jobs, and etc.
Jacob Peck
Q: What are your post-high school plans?
A: I am enlisting in the United States Marine corps.
Q: What made you decide to go into the Marines?
A: It’s a hard question, it seems like my reasons change every time I think about it. Above all though, I think it was about gaining experience and seeing the world and what’s out there.
Q: What is a common response when you tell people you’re not going to college?
A: People don’t what to ask, they kind of look at me weird. I think it throws them off guard because they can’t ask the usual questions like, ‘where are you going?’ or ‘what is your major?’
Q: What are you looking forward to most?
A: The experience and experiencing something new and different.
Q: How do you think this will impact your life?
A: In every way. I’ll be on my own and have to establish myself away from friends and family. It’s definitely a step in life. I don’t know if I want it to be a career. I want to see how my first four years go and then decide if I want to continue for the next 20.
Javier Perez
Q: What are your post-high school plans?
A: Universidad Polytechnica de Madrid, majoring in industrial design.
Q: What made you decide to go Spain for university?
A: I’m in the United States because of my father’s job, so after four years here my family is moving back to Spain. The school system here is so expensive that it makes more sense economically to go to Spain, and they have a great education as well so I’m not compromising.
Q: What is a common response when you tell people you’re going to school in Spain?
A: Take me with you!
Q: What are you looking forward to most?
A: I want to be able to come back to the U.S. to get my masters. Eventually my goal is to work at Apple as a technical engineer or something. I also want to move around and travel as much as I can.
Q: What is your advice to those studying abroad?
A: Go to Spain, whatever you do. Come visit me.