May 29 is last day of high school for the seniors. As we get closer and closer to this date, it’s easy to wonder what their plans are after high school.

What is their next big step? Some of our seniors will choose different paths such as choosing to go to a Cal State, UC, a private university, stay at Santa Ana College, or continue into the workforce. There are even students that don’t know what school or major they like and are lost. Regardless, they will always share the special connection of being the class of 2018.

One of our seniors who plans go to a private institution is Kassandra Garcia. She plans to attend Vanguard University with is a private university. On the other side of things, a different student, who preferred to remain anonymous, will be attending a Cal State. “My plans after high school would be attending a university, in my case most likely Cal State Fullerton… I also plan to travel at some point after high school…” She’s anxious about starting a new school, especially because it’s much bigger institution with brand new faces.

However, on the other hand, Brando Urquiza’s decision was to stay at SAC. He states, “I’d be taking easier classes while saving money.” He also mentioned that he wanted to complete as many general ed classes as possible. Other students such as Jazmine Rodriguez, Daniella Ledesma, Jennifer Rodriguez, and many more seniors are going to continue their education at SAC as well. They all said the same thing–that they would be saving a lot of money if they stay at Santa Ana College and get their prerequisites out of the way.

This leads to the stigmatizing of universities and the act of going to a university just for the name. Recently, year after year we see seniors choose to go to SAC instead of the four-year institution route. Students now are realizing the advantage of staying at a community college, both financially and academically. Brando Urquiza further explains, “The sad truth is that STEM classes at UCs and Cal States are unnecessarily and unreasonably hard in order to eliminate people… that isn’t learning, just memorization.” At Santa Ana College, students are offered a free year of tuition. This is one of the main reasons for the majority of our seniors staying at SAC. Additionally, the courses at SAC are easier and aren’t as competitive as a four-year university. However, whichever path our students take, they will both be equally beneficial for our students.

Our seniors are getting ready to leave the comfort of MCHS and are preparing themselves for the next chapter of their life. A message for the seniors is to remember to take it easy, don’t stress and–as cheesy as it sounds–this is only the beginning. We wish you the best of luck with your decisions and your studies.