When early graduate Norah Washington left for her last day of school before winter break, she felt a rush of emotions. Not only was she excited to move on with a new chapter of her life, but she was also sad to leave behind her friends and the place she had made so many memories. Although she wasn’t sure at that moment, she is now certain she made the right choice.
Choosing to leave high school in the past, several seniors decided to graduate early from EHS at the end of first semester.
Deciding to graduate early was different for each senior. Some chose to do so because of work and others for alternative opportunities.
One such early graduate, Washington, chose to leave high school early in order to fully work at her place of employment, Chipotle.
“I chose to graduate early to work full-time, earn money and prepare myself for college without the added stress of attending high school,” Washington said.
No longer having to attend school, she prioritizes her work and helping take care of her family.
“Recently, I’ve been working about four days a week,” Washington said. “My workday starts at 7 a.m. and ends around 4 p.m. The rest of my evening is then spent going to the gym, spending time with my family and doing chores around the house.”
With saving her earned money, she will be attending Western Colorado University once the semester is over.
Similar to Washington, early graduate Haley Lalor chose to graduate to save up enough money for college.
“I am working to create a buffer for myself financially just in case something were to happen in college and I wouldn’t be able to work anymore,” Lalor said.
Aside from working full-time, she also spends her free time searching and applying for potential scholarships for college.
According to Lalor, without high school, she now has plenty of time to write more college essays and overall do anything she can to reduce the cost of college.
After the semester, she plans on attending college in Wisconsin to study nursing and obtain her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Having left EHS, Lalor reflects on her time spent in high school and cherishes what she learned.
“One lesson I have taken away from my time at EHS is definitely to focus on priorities, such as homework or studying, but to also make time for myself, my friends and my family,” she said. “I always buried myself in school to distract myself from other things, and I have learned to not do that anymore.”
While most students graduated early to save up their earnings, early graduate Danny Story did so to better his athletic career.
Story is now attending a baseball academy in Florida that plays against Division 2 colleges and tournaments.
Instead of spending his days working, he spends most of his time at the gym.
“My weekdays consist of straight practice, baseball and lifting,” Story said. “On the weekends, I usually like to take a break and go to the beach or attend parties with my friends.”
Once the semester is over, he plans on staying in Florida to attend a university there.
Although this was a hard decision for some seniors to make, Washington, Lalor and Story agreed it was made in the best interest of their futures.
“Graduating early was definitely the best decision I could’ve made for myself,” Lalor said. “Although I miss my friends and some of my old teachers, I set this goal when I was a sophomore, so achieving it is one of my biggest accomplishments.”