The Senior Issue

THE

CHARIOT TROY HIGH SCHOOL

THE SENIOR ISSUE 2017

COllEgE lIST PAgE 10

TROY, MI.

VOL. 2 ISSUE 7

MAY 25, 2017

2

The Chariot

The official student newspaper of Troy High School Website troychariot.org Twitter thechariot_news Instagram thechariotnews Snapchat thsTHE_CHARIOT

The Senior Issue

Students to Visit Europe More than a dozen students will participate in a global leadership summit.

BY PRIYA BANDSTRA // STAFF WRITER STELLA SPAGNuOLO // STAFF WRITER

Staff

Leah Graham, editor-in-chief Jenny Boudon, cartoonist Bianca Bucholtz, copy editor Sarah Semon, design editor Annie Smuts, entertainment editor Sarah Funk, co-feature editor Natalie Suh, co-feature editor Elizabeth Graham, graphics editor Kendyl Gatzemeyer, marketing editor Liam Clancy, news editor Skyla Jewell-Hammie, opinion editor Elisabeth Andrews, co-photo editor Silvia Hoxha, co-photo editor Tracy Cabej, profile editor Katie Bogdanovich, source editor Gabrielle Francois, web editor Priya Bandstra, staff writer Patti Kubota, staff writer Sara Lewandowski, staff writer Morgan MacDonald, staff writer Kaitlyn Piggott, staff writer Stella Spagnuolo, staff writer Jack Stromberg, staff writer Megan Wallace, staff writer Maddie Young, staff writer Jayna Rumble, adviser

The Chariot Staff Policy The Chariot is a student-produced news publication that publishes information relevant to the times as well as material that is essential to the overall well-being of its readers. It is The Chariot’s responsibility to cover school, city, state, national and international events and issues that affect the concerns of the campus, its students or its readers.

The Chariot operates as a designated public forum for student expression. The Editorial Board consisting of student editors is the sole decision-making and policy-setting body of The Chariot and has final say over all content decisions. The adviser and administration have a non-review role and may offer advice on sensitive issues and will offer criticisms as warranted but the Editorial Board reserves all rights to determine what material shall be published.

Editorials represent the collective opinion of The Chariot staff.

Opinions expressed by individuals and in letters to the editor represent those of the author. Letters to the editor should be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s name, signature and class or position. Names of individuals may be withheld upon request, pending a vote of the Editorial Board.

Letters may be submitted in hard copy to room 204 at Troy High School or via email at troynewspaper@gmail.com. All letters are subject to review by the Editorial Board. Letters will not be edited except to fix space limitations. Should the Editorial Board deem a letter to be potentially libelous or containing content inappropriate for publication it will return the letter to the author with an opportunity for corrections. The Editorial Board is solely responsible for these decisions. Letters must be received one week prior to print publication to be included in print.

PHOTO COuRTESY OF HARRIET CLARK

Speech teacher Harriet Clark will chaperone the students on the trip to Italy and Greece.

Fourteen students and speech teacher Harriet Clark will explore various cities in Italy and Greece from June 29 to July 14.

Throughout the trip, the group will visit tourist destinations and participate in a global leadership summit with one topic in mind: the future of food. The summit, which will be held in Milan, Italy, will focus on solutions to the possibility of a global food shortage.

“Our world keeps getting bigger and bigger with population, but shrinking as far as land to grow crops,” Clark said.

Many of these students will be visiting these countries for the first time.

“I’m very excited,” junior Jennifer Wloszek said. “I’m really looking forward to going there and learning about the culture.

Who wouldn’t be excited?”

The trip is sponsored by EF Educational Tours and atten-

dance at the summit is at maximum capacity, as the event is sold out. The first five days, students will tour Greece and visit the Parthenon, Olympic Stadium, the temple of Olympian Zeus, the temple of Athena Nike and the temple of Poseidon. On the fifth day, students will fly to Rome and take a guided tour of the city, visiting the Colosseum and Vatican City. After this, they will travel to the Genoa region for two days. Throughout the trip, the group will take cooking classes and taste many types of food.

“We get to go see the Vatican, so I’m excited to see the architecture there,” sophomore Prisha Grover said.

During the final two days, students from all over the world will convene in Milan where they will take their experiences and put them into action to solve concerns about the future

of food, including topics such as organic or nonorganic food, genetic modification and the use of preservatives. The keynote speakers will be celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and writer and activist Raj Patel. The students then break into groups to create a presentation highlighting their proposed solutions.

“I wanna have a different outlook on life when I come back from this trip,” junior Diana Leybin said. “I feel like we are fortunate enough to have food and water and necessities every day.”

As well as having an opportunity to experience new culture and practice problem solving, students are offered college credit if they fill out a notebook throughout the trip.

“I think this is going to be a life changer for them,” said Clark. “I think they’ll be my age and still say it’s a life changer.”

COVER PHOTO BY LEAH GRAHAM

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The Senior Issue

Unranked Unlike many other schools, Troy High does not rank students academically or name a valedictorian.

BY LIAM CLANCY // NEWS EDITOR ANNIE SMuTS // ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR In the North American torian, having one could turn school system, educational out to be hurtful to students’ institutions have historically mental and physical health,” conferred the title of valedic- senior Lueda Shemitraku torian upon one student in said. “I wouldn’t want to each class. The valedictorian, spend my whole high school typically the student with the career worrying about my greatest academic achieve- grades when you can have a ment, gives an address at well rounded experience.”

Some students said they graduation. In contrast with this tradition, Troy High wanted to have a valedictodoes not select a valedictori- rian.

“I would say I am in favor an, which some people feel is of having a class valedictoria wise decision.

“It would have been impos- an at Troy High,” sophomore sible to have one before we Justin Jones said. “Students weighted grades because we would probably be more mohave had so many 4.0 cumu- tivated to achieve academic lative grade point students,” excellence even if only one person is guidance awarded counsel“The valedictorian the title.” or Anne Others Young said. might not be the feel that the “ T h e r e best student. It naming of a would have been 40 might just be the single valepeople tied dictorian person who has for valedicwould fail to reflect torian.” the best access the diverse Troy High to tutors and the achieveweights g r a d e s , ments of most amount meaning the graduof time on their that stuating class.

“There dents can hands.” are so earn 5 GPA -junior David many peocredits for getting an ple that are Muso A in an AP amazing at course or 4 sports and for an A in a regular course. other extracurriculars, and As a result, there are many if there was a valedictorian students who have higher only based on grades it would than a 4.0 GPA, the tradi- diminish other people’s actional standard of a perfect complishments,” senior Rijul academic record. In the class Maini said. of 2016, there were 129 stuOther students echo this dents who had a 4.0 weighted criticism.

“I am against having a GPA or higher.

Some students feel that valedictorian at Troy High if there were a valedictori- because it takes away from an, students would overwork everybody else,” junior Dathemselves or even resort to vid Muso said. “There could cheating. be plenty of other people “I think especially for Troy who had good grades but had High, where the competition other things in their life that is so tough without a valedic- they had to be responsible

PHOTO BY LOGAN SMITH

Jace Johansson, ‘16, addresses last year’s graduates; valedictorians traditionally speak at high school graduations.

for.”

Muso said that the title itself could end up being a reflection of privilege rather than ability.

“The valedictorian might not be the best student,” he said. “It might just be the person who has the best access to tutors and the most amount of time on their hands.”

The title could also result

in a negative impact for those who put forth their best but do not make the cut.

“Those who do not get valedictorian might feel discouraged or less inclined to do well in college or other future endeavors,” Jones said.

While academic competition can benefit students, some hold that it is still very important not to promote a

cutthroat environment for learning. Students and administrators are concerned that intensified pressure will not benefit students.

“The positive competition to take challenging classes and prepare oneself for a career or profession in the future is good and healthy,” Young said.

“However, intense competitions for grades is not.”

4

Collegiate Creativity

The Senior Issue Seniors interested in music and art go through the process of applying to art school.

BY NATALIE SUH // CO-FEATURE EDITOR The college application process is one that many seniors know all too well: essays, recommendation letters, test scores, college visits and transcripts. The whole thing can be dreary or exciting, but for the fraction of students who decide to pursue a more creative major, the process can be more complicated due to auditions and portfolios.

Campus life and class size are a few things to consider in addition to a major. For music students, the relationship with future professors is an important aspect to consider.

Senior Tyler Bouque will attend the New England Conservatory in the fall to major in voice, and plans to add a second major in music composition during his second year.

“You have to feel an instant draw and personal connection with the professor,” Bouque said. “I had a

lot of private lessons at schools to see who I click with, so NEC had the professor that I felt totally at home with.”

The audition requirements differ for those pursuing different disciplines.

“You take videos of yourself singing three different pieces in three different languages and send it to the college,” Bouque said.

“For composition, you have to upload all of your scores, audio files, videos and essays online for preliminaries.”

If students make it past the preliminary round, they are invited to do a live audition for the professors. Senior Timothy Grieme went through this process when applying to schools for a major in music education.

“It’s very stressful knowing that whether or not you will be accepted is based upon a single per-

formance,” said Grieme. “This is unlike other application processes where you have months to revise an essay and perfect every single sentence. I only had one shot at each of my auditions. If I messed up, I didn’t get a redo.”

Grieme will be attending Grand Valley State University for music education.

“I’ve known that I want to major in music since I was young,” said Grieme. “I can remember sitting in middle school band and telling myself, ‘this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.’ It was through the inspiration of band directors that made me come to the realization.”

When applying to art schools, students must put together a portfolio. It shows the college the student’s artistic skills as well as her or his originality. The process of creating an art portfolio can be

long because of the time and effort going into each piece of work.

“I have a real passion for photography,” senior Deonte Newsome said. “Last year was when my passion for photography started, so over the summer and this year [my portfolio] just got better and better.”

Newsome has plans to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta next fall and then transfer to a fine arts school in California.

“I considered what would be best for me and how I could start off as my own person in the photography business,” Newsome said.

Senior Cheyenne Stage aspires to be a makeup artist, so instead of college, she is going to a cosmetology school.

“I’ve heard really good things about the Multimedia Makeup Academy,” she said. “I like them

because they have different aspects, like beauty or something more gory and special effects.

They teach you how to market and how to become a successful makeup artist.”

Her decision to pursue makeup was slightly delayed by her previous plans.

“I filled out eight applications halfway, and then I thought, ‘why am I doing this? I don’t want to go to college. I want to do something fun,’” Stage said.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 80 percent of fine artists were “very satisfied” with the opportunity to be creative in their work, while only 8 percent said the same about their income.

“People always told me to have a back up, but when you’re passionate about one thing and one thing only, how could you choose anything else?” Bouque said.

Senior Cheyenne Stage is going to cosmetogology school to become a makeup artist.

Senior Deonte Newsome wants to work as a photographer.

Senior Tyler Bouque will major in voice, with music composition as a second major.

PHOTO BY LEAH GRAHAM

The Senior Issue

Looking Tu the Future

5 Kaila Tu looks toward attending the University of Michigan College of Engineering.

BY SARAH LEwANDOwSkI // STAFF wRITER PATTI kUBOTA // STAFF wRITER Coming into Troy High, there are endless sports, clubs and classes to choose from. As a freshman, Kaila Tu took a class called CAD 1, which focused on engineering and mechanical drawings. Tu was interested in the robotics club but didn’t consider joining until both her CAD 1 teacher and father suggested that she should join, saying that robotics would be a great way to have fun and make friends. This choice led her to meet some of her closest friends and eventually get voted vice president her junior year.

Tu decided to further her education at the University of Michigan.

“It was kind of a no-brainer for me,” Tu said. “I only really applied to three colleges because U of M is in-state tuition and the College of Engineering is super good. It’s right in our backyard and you

can’t beat that.”

She received the Regents scholarship for academic merit. Tu said her biggest accomplishment during high school was pushing herself so far with robotics.

“I had to help while I was already juggling three AP classes,” she said. “It just teaches you a lot about working for something you really love, and then also making sure you keep everything else up, but it’s honestly such a rewarding experience.”

Her sister, sophomore Olivia Tu, is inspired by her goals and accomplishments.

“She’s hardworking. She’s always striving for the best,” Olivia said. “She’ll persevere through the hardest times.”

As Tu heads to college, she said she is more focused on her academic goals. She explained that she may not want to get involved

with many extracurriculars because the engineering program is intense. However, robotics is a passion of hers, so she may look into the robotics organization on campus.

“I’m probably looking into industrial operations engineering, which is more of like systems management,” Tu said. “I was thinking maybe having a minor in entrepreneurship or business, but I’m just hoping to, once I get to college, explore and do some introductory classes.”

One of Tu’s biggest supporters is her dad, John Tu. He watched her grow throughout the years while coaching robotics. “[I hope to see her] doing whatever she does in the future, not necessarily engineering, as long as she can help the society and help to solve tough scientific or social issues,” John said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION OF TROY HIGH

Tu plays with the bass section at a Symphony Orchestra concert.

The Roommate Dilemma

Seniors search for college roommates online.

BY SkYLA jEwELL-HAMMIE // OPINION EDITOR For some, finding a roommate is fun and exciting, but even if it could be one of the most anticipated components of committing to a university, it can also be one of the most stressful.

There are two options seniors can choose when looking for a roommate. They can leave the roommate section blank and be surprised at orientation, or they can go online to select their ideal roommate. Popular websites for choosing a future roommate include university Facebook groups, RoomSurf and the School App. Senior Kevin McNamee’s experiences were not what he was expecting when he committed to Central Michigan University and started looking for his roommate.

“I felt like I was on a speed dating website,” McNamee said.

“There are times when people asked me weird questions and I got freaked out. I am still glad I went through it and got to know

people.”

Unlike McNamee, senior Brianna Isabella found it easy and exciting when she was looking for her roommate after committing to Western Michigan University.

“I got lucky to have found my roommate within the first ten minutes of searching,” Isabella said. “I posted on a Western Facebook group and a couple PHOTO BY SkYLA jEwELL-HAMMIE girls just messaged Senior Madison Bologna looks on RoomSurf for a roommate. me.” dates, picking a residence hall through social media.”

As second semesSocial media is a conveter comes to an end, most seniors and finding a roommate.

“The best moment was finding nient option to look for a roomhave already been accepted and have committed to their univer- my roommate and realizing that mate. It allows students to see sity of choice. All the hard work we had so much in common,” what their potential roommate throughout four years has led senior Megan Lenihan said. is like. There are a couple things up to the moment of finalizing “Finding a roommate wasn't too to look for when searching for a payments, choosing orientation bad because it's easy to connect roommate including how close

the student’s and the potential roommate's majors are, if they have the same priorities, if they are both organized or don't mind a few things on the floor. All of those qualities can be answered through connecting on social media platforms, which makes looking for a roommate a little less stressful for already stressed seniors.

Although social media gives an insight, seniors like Madison Bologna expressed how fake people can be when looking for a roommate because there is a focus on appearance and how students present themselves online.

“I feel like everyone is fluffing their answers,” senior Madison Bologna said. “They can say what their habits are like, but you don't know them until you actually get there. Everything, it seems, is based on looks, but I would still recommend looking for a roommate. I like knowing what to expect.”

6

The Senior Issue

Senior to Play Collegiate Soccer Senior Lindsey Bolas, a four-year varsity soccer player, makes the decision to attend Oglethorpe University in Georgia, where she willl study marine biology.

BY MORGAN MACDONALD // STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDSEY BOLAS

Bolas plays in goal and as a field player.

After playing soccer for more than 12 years and sending close to 100 emails to colleges of interest, senior Lindsey Bolas signed to play Division III soccer at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia.

“My goal since freshman year was to go to college down south because I wanted to play soccer in the heat,” Bolas said.

This is Bolas’ eighth year as a goalie and fourth year playing varsity soccer for Troy High.

“I was 9 when I got thrown into the net. I was pretty good at it and it just developed, so I stuck to it,” Bolas said.

Throughout her soccer career, Bolas split game time playing goalie and outside midfield.

Last year there were two goalies so Bolas was able to enjoy the

From Manager to Coach

best of both worlds.

“It’s so funny because I had never played outside midfield in my whole life and I was just kind of thrown out there and it was just really fun,” Bolas said.

Although she helps out as

“I wanted to play soccer in college, but I didn’t want it to be everything I did. I chose Oglethorpe more for academics than soccer.”

-senior Lindsey Bolas a field player when she can, her main focus is goalie.

“I still really like playing in goal. I like being loud, and being able to use my hands is pretty cool,” Bolas said. “And I like

being able to take people out and not get called for it.”

Bolas will be playing goalie at Oglethorpe. One of the main reasons Bolas chose the school was because it offers her intended major: marine biology.

“They have a really good biology program so that was my big ups for the school,” Bolas said.

Going into the recruiting process, Bolas knew she wanted to focus on academics while still being able to play the sport she loves.

“I wanted to be able to focus more on the academic side than more the soccer side,” she said. “I wanted to play soccer in college, but I didn’t want it to be everything I did. I chose Oglethorpe more for academics than soccer.”

Senior Caleb Whiting will leave behind his managerial position on several teams.

BY JACK STROMBERG // STAFF WRITER After four years of serving as team manager for the football, basketball and lacrosse teams, senior Caleb Whiting is graduating and leaving his position behind.

“I started off in middle school,” Whiting said. “I was the manager there, so I asked the coaches here and they told me since I had experience that they would let me do it.”

Whiting began his career as the manager for Boulan Park Middle School’s seventh grade basketball team.

“The basketball coach asked me if I wanted to do it, and I said yes,” Whiting said.

“That kind of started it all off.

It was basketball first, then my eighth grade year I took on track and football too. I just wanted to be the most helpful I could be with the teams.

And I love sports, so that also helped drive it.”

As a team manager, Whiting is in charge of running the clock, keeping stats, managing

inventor y bly our bigand setting gest student up film section of equipment the whole to record year at that games. game.”

“I get The game to feel like was against I’m part of A v o n something dale High bigger than School and m y s e l f ,” was played Whiting at home. said. “A lot “Coach of the kids [ G a r y ] that I’ve Fralick told been with me the day for the past before the four years, game that I I keep in was going contact to dress,” with. They Whiting respect me, said.

“He they treat said he me like one c o u l d n’t PHOTO BY ELISABETH ANDREWS of them, Senior Caleb Whiting receives a scholarship from the Athletic Boosters. g u a r a n t e e and that’s just awesome.” that I would play at all, but in a varsity basketball game.

Whiting’s role is not always “It was really cool to see a we were up by a lot, so with a behind-the-scenes. This year, lot of the school come out,” minute and 30 seconds left, he he was given a chance to play Whiting said. “We had proba- called a timeout and put me

in.”

Troy High won that game 79-48.

“These last three years I’ve been the manager, seeing the seniors leave has been kind of a hard thing to do,” Whiting said. “But this year it should be easier because I’ll be one of them.”

Whiting was awarded the first-ever Troy High Athletic Boosters scholarship for his service to the athletic department. He will be attending University of Michigan-Dearborn in the fall. However, the work he has done with Troy High’s athletic program isn’t quite over. Next year, Whiting plans to come back to Troy High, but this time as a coach.

“Right now, I’m set up as a football coach for next season, but I don’t know about my other two sports yet,” Whiting said. “I don’t do my job because I want recognition, I do it because I love working with the teams.”

The Senior Issue

7

The Runaway

Senior Brandon Davis commits to Pepperdine University, located in southern California, to run track for the school and study sports medicine.

BY GABRIELLE FRANCOIS // WEB EDITOR TRACY CABEJ // PROFILE EDITOR

Senior Brandon Davis practices on the track before the spring pep rally on Friday, May 19.

Unlike most students on the track team, senior Brandon Davis won’t be leaving his cleats at home when he heads to college in the fall. Davis will be attending Pepperdine University, a Christian school in southern California, for sports medicine and track. He received an offer to run track there and made his final decision in mid-April. During his junior year, Davis decided he

wanted to run track in college.

He started track in sixth grade and became attached to the sport.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “Running is just fun. It’s something to do. I like the heavy competition because everyone can run, but not everyone is good at it. I know I’ll get faster if there’s a lot more competition.”

Math teacher Mike Messina coaches Davis.

“When you combine his natural talent with his work ethic and competitive nature, it makes him stand out compared to other athletes,” Messina said.

Davis’ running buddy, senior Andrew Dingwall, said that Davis can get very competitive while running.

“In cross country there is a lot of competition between us, but not so much in track because he

PHOTO BY LEAH GRAHAM

runs shorter distances than me,” Dingwall said.

Although Davis and Dingwall will be parting ways next year, Dingwall said he will remember when they went to Indiana for an end-of-season trip.

“We take a trip out there for a meet called Nike, and it’s a long van ride out with everyone and that was really fun,” Dingwall said. “It was all the seniors in the

front messing around with everyone.”

Davis runs both cross country and track.

“I do the two hundred, four hundred, eight hundred and then four by two relay, four by four relay and four by eight relay,” Davis said. “I have the fastest four hundred and eight hundred during my high school career.”

Davis said he has learned many life lessons as a runner.

“Brandon has developed leadership skills as well,” Messina said. “Besides the improvements on the stopwatch, which are always nice to see, it’s been great to watch Brandon grow as a student athlete. Brandon is a hard worker, and it shows in his results. He is adaptable and very strong, which means I can throw him in nearly any event and he can be successful. That kind of athlete is invaluable to a track team.”

Although Davis is excited to be going to college, he said he is also nervous because he doesn’t know what to expect there. Over his years in track, Davis has made much progress individually and with the team.

“Last year we went to this really big invitational and the year before at it I did really really bad,” Davis said. “I came in like dead last but then last year I ended up winning it, so it was really fun.”

Davis’ friends and coaches believe he is ready for track in college and they are eager to see what the future holds for him.

“Brandon is definitely ready for the competition,” Messina said. “He will work as hard as any other guy on his team, and the results will show it. I think he has a very bright future ahead of him at Pepperdine.”

8

The Senior Issue

The States of Higher Education

Alabama

Maryland

Arizona

Massachusetts

North Carolina

Bulgaria

Utah

California

Mexico

Ohio

New York

Tennessee

Graduates attend schools in different states and countries.

Virginia

Oregon

Washington, D

The Senior Issue

KEY

Florida

D.C.

9

One student

Georgia

Two

Illinois

Montana

Michigan

*Only top 10 most highly attended schools shown

Three

Four

Five or more

Indiana

Nebraska

Iowa

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Washington

Wisconsin

10

The College List 2017 Adrian College Cameron Mercer

Albion College Alexandra Balcoff Preetika Gudipudi Christopher Murphy Joel Zaretti

Aquinas College Matthew Williams

Arizona State University Alec Dorn Sara Loucks

Art Institute of Atlanta Deonte Newsome

Baker College David Pant

Boston College Yonghan Park

Bowling Green State University Megan Durell

Brigham Young University Will Johansson Coy Peterson Joseph Wirthlin

Brown University Jennifer Zhang

Calvin College Miranda Sellers Isaiah Smith

Carnegie Mellon University Pranathi Locula

Central Michigan University Katie Armstrong Madison Bologna Erin Cueter Melina DiMambro Daniel Gunn Chase Hall Tyler Hall John Jalkanen Leah Kossak Christopher Kroll Kevin McNamee Nicholas Sacco Christopher Stoglin Miranda Urban Connor Wilson

Cleveland Institute of Music Stephen Castiglione

College for Creative Studies Christopher Crego Jack Dawidowicz

Cornell University Vineet Kamat Jiapeng Wang

David Pressley School of Cosmetology Celine Vang

Duke University Sweta Kafle

Eastern Michigan University

Anjali Patel Nia Patterson Sofia Proen Emily Rush Tiana Smith Kristina Taggart Emma Woodrich Jake Young Brianna Zuhl

Grinnell College Zamashenge Buthelezi

Hampton University James Lundy III

Hillsdale College Hannah Cimpeanu

Hope College Laura Pryde

Howard University Kierstin Akins

Samantha Boven

Indiana University

Seung Jung

Johns Hopkins University

Emory University Ferris State University

Madeline Kochanski

Yipeng Jin

Mihika Aedla Rohini Verma

Florida Gulf Coast University

Kalamazoo College

Florida State University

Kettering University

Mark Potesta

David Ryber

Allison Frey Daniel Qin

George Washington University

Joel Fershtman Enoch Lau Christopher Oprea

Grand Valley State University

Tiffany Nogoy

Raagini Chandra

Julia Best Melissa Bien Adam Booth Maya Bradley Steven Brodzinski Jillian Bucaro Michelle Cappetto Noah Chimpouras Tiffani Dagenais Carley David Aaron DuBay Julia Emerzian Sabrina Gonzales Timothy Grieme Emma Hagen Noelle Kaminski Shane McAtamney Amanda Moy Justin Parry

Lipscomb University

Loyola University Clay Sheko

Macomb Community College Madalina Negoita Joal Wyss

The Marines Timothy Cooley Evan Holland Jacob Malotke Tanner Temple

Maryland Institute College of Art Jenny Boudon

The Senior Issue Seniors make their final decisions about the universities and colleges they will attend in the fall.

Miami University Rafael Goncalves Sarah Semon

Michigan State University Nahyun Ahn Nicole Anderson Rahul Behara William Berlage Vishal Bethamcherla Ameya Bokil Brandon Burlage Julia Calnen Molly Crusse Gustavo D’Mello Maria De Fortuny Katherine Diederich Nidhi Dungrani Julie Eiler Mariana El Tawil Ethan Fulcher Pooja Gadhiya Shail Gusani Benjamin Hadad Matthew Harmon Jessica Hart Houduo He Silvia Hoxha Megan Hsu Brandon Hu Max Huang Kevin Jackovich Seung Jung Shobith Kalal Jaeeun Kim Jaehyung Kim Michelle Kim Mark Kistler Michelle Lee Megan Lenihan Jia Liu Mingjia Liu Anna Luongo Rijul Maini Brittaney Malaga Michelle Mao Yazen Mariya Alec Mayer Nathan Meram Hemali Mistry Jack Moran Kyle Murphy Amtullah Naalwala Joseph Nagia Caroline Nicholas Chairin Paik Haneul Paik Stefan Palincas Alexandra Parpart Ethan Phillips Prachee Pingle Aditya Purandare Palkin Rampal Zainab Raza Annabelle Rowbal Sophia Sacco Balaji Satagopan Caroline Schlimgen

Blake Schmidt Emily Simonis Sahiba Singh Nathan Strong George Tang Patrick Tanguay Ethan Tryon Boyuan Wang Parker Wickens Jenny Wu Aven Zitzelberger

Michigan Technological University Lois Hwang Noah Kienutske Kevin Li Nishant Peruri

Montana State University Kenneth Bohr Michael Flynn Zachary Rolands

Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education Ana Paz Calderon

Multimedia Makeup Academy Cheyenne Stage

Muskegon Community College Jacob Soules

Navy

William Sherwood Autumn Throneberry

New England Conservatory of Music Tyler Bouque

New York University Emily Lourim

Northwood University Theodore Bleich

Nova Southeastern University Taalia Azharuddin

The Senior Issue Oakland Community College

Manaswi Akkiraju Michael Armstrong Giovanni Asmar Reid Benbow Brendan Blain Shelby Chavaux Matthew Cole Daniel De Fortuny Skylar Esuchanko Mason Fougnie Eltion Gjata Claire Hamill Kelly Harman Jasimine Harms Brendan Heath Andrew Hermez Garrett Horn Viktora Ibrakhim Verina Khalil Jacob Kropinski Taulant Lifo Joseph Mappilaparampil Emma Marshall William McCatty Justin McDonald Grant Miller Daniel Mohammadi Abdul Mohammed Rachel Nabood Heaven Parker Tyler Platto Kyle Pratt Thomas Ricketts Noorhan Sabbagh Amanda Scully Mikael Shehu Melissa Smith Samantha Smolinski Austin Sofy Mackenzie Taylor J’Von Tolbert Noah Williams Payge Williams Hailey Worton Huiting Xu Rafael Yashinsky Brittany Zora

Oakland University

Ma’en Ahmad Jack Alfes Kristina Bacelli Nirmol Batra Yevgen bedrus Michael Bell Jessica Butler McKayla Coplen Mikayla Cox Trevor Davis Jacob Dutcher Katherine Fraus Joshue Fuentes Martinez Grant Heinlen

11 Joni Hsu Ibrahim Isaac Rubab Imtiaz Bhaskar Kapasiya Tate Kraemer Cho Lwin Bradley Mathew Shane Messina Richard Monblatt Marla Mulhim Anjali Nair Hermes Neziri Danielle Nicholson Andrew Ostrowski Gabrielle Page Hanna Rau Erik Rieland Daniella Scaccia Francesca Scaccia Brittany Seba Jonathon Slifkin Meghan Sowerby Argjiro Spiro Ross Talbert Celine Taylor Maxine Toukhanian Andreea Ursu Iris Zou

Oglethorpe University Lindsey Bolas

Ohio State University Amun Mehta Andrew Wong

Olivet College Ryan Simono

Pepperdine University Brandon Davis

Princeton University Hongying Jiang Cristina Xu

Purdue University Andrew Adams Scott Mittelbrun Ameen Sinaph

Schoolcraft College Danielle Shuwayhat Maria Shuwayhat

Siena Heights University Kyle O’Brien

Sofia University Dean Kovatchev

Stanford University Ricky Young Jenny Zhi

Temple University Maahaa Aulakh

United States Naval Academy Jaclyn Pabalan

University of Alabama Julia Alaimo

University of California, Berkeley Neha Nayak Vikas Sharma

University of California, Los Angeles Sneha Bhargava

University of California, San Diego Neelesh Kris

University of Cincinnati Akshay Veluru

University of Dayton Jordan Coval

University of Queens University Detroit Mercy Islam Aly

Reed College Alisa Chen

Robert Morris University Emi Laho

Rochester College Carter Scillion

Daria Bradley

University of Findlay Mikayla Feld

University of Illinois at Urbana– Champaign Yoon Moon Neha Nagar

University of Miami Madison Darish Anisha Kore Sheldon Mills

University of Michigan Vedika Aigalikar Alyssa Asmar Haya Beydoun Joseph Bugaj Joseph Carpenter Richard Chen Wesley Chiu Inwoo Cho Sebin Choi Sara Cooper Joshua Corsello Trena Datta Andrew Dingwall Jacob Doyle Ajith Dupati Emily Endres Jiachen Fan Allison Feng Jason Fernando Linus Garin Elizabeth Graham Jeff Guan Natalie Guisinger Brandon Guo Sung-Min Ham Matthew Heikka Chelsea Henning Michelle Huang Johanan Isaac Alexander Jalkanen Evan Jiang James Kim Nilay Kulkarni Michelle Lebbos Jaehee Lee Sang Lee Jessie Li Ken Lu Chase Marshall Abigail Miya Anna Nichols David Nie Hamza Noor Jacob Overberg Kevin Qing Haadiyah Rabbani Nikhil Ramachandra Arnav Ramu Rashika Rao Raahul Ravi Sofia Salinas Rahul Saxena Rebecca Schroeder Shimonti Sengupta Lueda Shemitraku Yiyang Shen Bruna Silva Edward Song Audrey Thompson Tina Tripathi Kaila Tu Neil Vaishampayan Hayley Vassallo

Sameeksha Venkatesh Ganesh Vijaykumar Jack White Maple Xu Serena Yee Jesse Yin Kathleen Young Angela Yu Eric Zhang

University of MichiganDearborn Jordan Jackson Tiarah Mitchell Caleb Whiting

University of Nebraska John Kolar

University of Notre Dame Mitchell MacDonald

University of Pennsylvania Howard Li Shannon Lin Shreya Subramanian

University of Washington Varun Sridhar

University of WisconsinMadison Trevor Witz

Wayne County Community College Jenelle Cholagh

Wayne State University

Demiana Attalla Amruth Atyam Kaitlyn Bogdanovich Neelesh Bollu Valentin Chevallier Kyle Darancou Sarath Dasaraju Akanksha Dhannapuneni Alice Fahy Britton Farrell Sudheshna Gullanki Abraham Jan Simrun Jassal Lakshmi Javali Sai Kagithala Elti Karoshi Carmen Kassab Hamza Khan Shivani Kolluru Euijin Lee

Continued on Page 12

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College List 2017 Continued from Page 11

Wayne State University

First Generation

The Senior Issue

As the first of his family born in America, senior Clay Sheko faces pressure to succeed.

BY BIANCA BUCHOLTZ // COPY EDITOR

Andrew Li Sara Lodhi Bassem Makroufa Manogya Manchala Daniel Mulkeran Daniel Ryan Sami Saker Alina Sheu Ahmed Siddiqui Xhesika Sinojmeri Dion Stevens Golam Tahsin Luke Tan Mya Teeter Akshay Thongam

Western Michigan University

Madeline Aldinger Brianna Isabella Skyla Jewell-Hammie Alexander Johnson Benjamin Kotwick Jared Lipinski Colin McEachern Lindsay Nichols Nicholas Peel Mason Super Luke Thomas

Wheaton College Nicolas Myhrer

Working/Gap Year/Other Kyle Aman Karen Barrientos Nicholas Calin Alex Cho James Claypool Andrew Davis Lauren DeLisle Noni Fenderson Brendan Heath Brendan Heisler Iosif Ibrakhim Juhee Lee Madeline Lewton Tanner Lumma Ingrid Mejia Hirokazu Terada

Xavier University Mary Cianciolo Alexander Guindi

PHOTOS COURETESY OF CLAY SHEKO

Senior Clay Sheko visits Sarandé, a beach in Albania.

Senior Clay Sheko’s dad was born in a small village in Albania.

Following the collapse of the Albanian government in 1991, his dad decided to move to America with his brother. A few years later he went back to his village and met Sheko’s mother. They moved to America together.

“My dad got asylum in the U.S. and my mom got her green card after a few months in the U.S. embassy in Greece,” Sheko said.

Sheko is the first of his family to be born in America. He grew up learning both English and Albanian.

“My first word was ‘open’ in Albanian,” Sheko said. “When I started school, Albanian got harder to speak, but I still understand it perfectly. There's sort of a stigma that I can't speak Albanian perfectly.

Even though everyone denies it I can still feel people judging me.”

Sheko had the ability to experience the societies and traditions of both cultures growing up.

“American and Albanian cultures are quite different,” Sheko said. “Albanian culture really focuses on collectivism instead of the individual. Everything is family oriented. There is a lot of emphasis on formalities. I remember there would always be a specific order and way to greet people. I found them particularly annoying for lack of a better term, but it would be considered rude if I didn't participate.”

Sheko said the normal way of life

in Albania appears almost extreme compared to American society.

“Albanian culture is super focused on being hospitable,” Sheko said. “You can be hospitable in the U.S. but hospitality in Albania is on steroids. We will fight each other to pay for the bill at restaurants.

We insist people come over any time they are near to our house.

We might even lend them large sums of money if they’re in financial need. I guess this rubbed off on me a lot and people here saw me as way too nice even though it would be considered ‘normal’ back home. I sorta take it an extra mile.”

Growing up, Sheko found it difficult to grow up in America while holding on to his Albanian culture.

“I had a lot of trouble living in both cultures,” Sheko said. “I always felt like I had to pick one. For the longest time I felt way more comfortable in American culture, but there was a sense of guilt that I was trying to distance myself away from my family's lifestyle.”

Sheko found that being the first born American led to added pressure.

“There was a lot of pressure to do more than just well,” Sheko said.

“Everyone had extremely high expectations for me, so I always had this sense of 'I have to succeed' because if I don't it feels like a waste of potential and sacrifice for the people around me. I guess it was just pressure to make myself into something notable.”

Though Sheko said at times the

Last summer, Sheko went to Syri I Kalter, or Blue Lake, in Albania.

pressure was overwhelming, his friends said that he didn’t show it.

“It must be challenging to be a first generation American,” senior Rebecca Schroeder said. “I'm sure he faces pressure like many other first generation kids whose parents might want them to adopt their traditional culture and whose friends expect them to be more ‘Americanized.’ Clay handles it with grace and manages to be his own person despite it.”

Sheko said the pressure to succeed still lingers, especially when planning for the future.

“I've been raised a certain way to expect certain things from myself, so I feel I'll be pushing myself to go beyond those expectations,” Sheko said.

Sheko, indecisive on which school to attend, waited until the last day possible to commit to a university.

“I'm going to Loyola University in Chicago,” Sheko said. “It was super stressful choosing. Ultimately it was up to cost and how close the school was to home. Even though I'm excited to go out of state and meet new people, I’m still going to miss my family, no matter what.

They're the reason I am who I am.”

Though excited about the future, Sheko still worries about being the best he can be, but is proud of who he has become.

“I definitely feel as if I've grown as a person,” Sheko said. “I've started teaching myself to step back and just take a few minutes to relax and appreciate everything I have. I've always hoped to become someone memorable, someone that did something amazing and people would learn about, but now I just want to be someone that makes others happy and their lives easier.”

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The Senior Issue

The Locals

Students stay close to home as they pursue higher education after graduating.

BY KATIE BOGDANOVICH // SOURCE EDITOR SARAH SEMON // DESIGN EDITOR

Many seniors will pack their bags this summer, load up their cars and travel to their new homes. For the next four years, they will live and learn in all sorts of locations including California, Montana, Mexico and Utah.

However, a closer path for some soonto-be graduates is equally as popular.

This fall, local colleges and universities such as Oakland University, Wayne State University, U of M Dearborn and Oakland Community College are planning to welcome more than 100 students from the Class of 2017.

There are a range of factors that contribute to the college decision: campus feel, athletics, academics and cost of tuition, which can include help from financial aid and scholarships.

Senior Michael Bell got into the

University of Michigan but chose Oakland University for the latter reason.

“I wanted to go Oakland because they gave me free tuition,” Bell said.

“I’m trying to save a little money for med school.”

Another important factor is the influence of parental input. Senior Giovanni Asmar will start at Oakland Community College due to his parents’ wishes.

“I got accepted into Michigan State and they thought it’d be better for me to stay at home instead of going away for college,” Asmar said. “I’m the first one that’s tried to leave. It’s kind of a parent thing I think.”

Senior Ibrahim Isaac faced a similar situation. After he was accepted into Arizona State University, Isaac and his

PHOTO COURTESY OF IBRAHIM ISAAC

Senior Ibrahim Isaac takes a selfie with his sister while visiting Oakland University.

Director’s Cut

family decided he would stay at home.

“The deal was my family would move there, but my dad has a green card and he’s in and out of the country a lot,” Isaac said. “If we moved to Arizona, our papers would have to get scanned and transferred to a different Secretary of State. [We would have to] figure out our tax information and insurance, all of that. Once my dad becomes a citizen, everything will be so much easier.”

Students who stay close to home face the question of living at home or staying in on-campus housing. Senior Maxine Toukanhain, who plans to attend Oakland University, will live off-campus.

“I think [living at home] is a big hindrance on a college experience,” Toukanhain said. “I understand not

everyone can afford it, but I think if you’re going to a university and it’s a major one, that’s a huge part. It’s a way to develop, not just academically.”

There are some positives of staying close that students are looking forward to.

“It’s nice because if I want to get anything or I need to go back home for any reason, I don’t have to go far,” Bell said.

Isaac said that when he found out he would not be attending Arizona State, he “was so mad and upset,” but his attitude changed after visiting Oakland University’s campus.

“After I went to OU’s campus twice I realized I was excited to be there,” Isaac said. “I wasn’t trying to go to a specific place- I was trying to find something new.”

Senior Danielle Nicholson will study screenwriting at Oakland University.

BY KENDYL GATZEMEYER // MARKETING EDITOR ELISABETH ANDREWS // CO-PHOTO EDITOR For senior Danielle Nicholson, it was difficult trying to balance being a kid and an adult during her senior year while also getting ready for college.

“There’s lots of stress about college- trying to balance between enjoying my last year of high school and trying to get ready for the professional world,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson’s love of film started in elementary school. She loved watching movies and knew even then that that’s what she wanted to do when she was older.

“I thought that maybe I should be a film critic when I grow up,” Nicholson said. “I didn’t think that I could actually make them.”

Nicholson has experimented with many different genres lately but said she really likes dark comedies.

“It’s interesting to me because it seems more original and creative,” Nicholson said. “It’s not someone just slipping and hurting themselves. There’s a lot of play on words.”

She first started making short films her sophomore year with

her friend, Gerald Dasal.

“We just ran around a golf course with a camera and some really weird costume pieces,” Nicholson said. “Then about a year later he asked if I could write a short film. Neither of them were actually finished, but it was a really good start.”

She began to think about college later that year.

“I was watching a movie called ‘Supporting Characters,’” Nicholson said. “It was about two film editors, and midway through watching it I realized that I could actually have a career in that, so I started researching on how to get into the industry, and that led to film schools.”

Nicholson was accepted to Oakland University with a full scholarship and plans to study screenwriting. She said she will miss a few things about high school. “[I’ll miss] the cushion of inspiration,” Nicholson said. “All of your teachers are really supportive, and you have all these open opportunities. I will miss having people around to check up on

me. I’m going to have to learn to check up on myself.”

Nicholson has written and directed three original short films: “Cooking By The Book,” “Little Things” and “Running Late.”

Sophomore Laura Nicholas, a friend of Nicholson’s, starred in one of her short films.

“She’s an extremely creative person and has the most creative ideas,” Nicholas said. “She always loves to share them with me and I love to give her my feedback.”

Senior Caroline Nicholas, Laura Nicholas’ sister, also worked with Nicholson on a few of her short films and helped with special effects.

“They’re different,” she said.

“They’re very well done and creative. It definitely takes a professional to do something like that.”

Nicholson’s advice for any aspiring filmmaker is to do research.

“Don’t have just a vague idea of what you want to do,” Nicholson said. “Do lots of research into the industry. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try new things with your art.”

PHOTO BY SILVIA HOXHA

14

From China to Cornell

The Senior Issue Senior Emily Wang is attending Cornell University next fall, where she will study engineering.

BY MADDIE YOUNG // STAFF WRITER MEGAN WALLACE // STAFF WRITER

Senior Emily Wang moved from China when she was in middle school. She had to learn English and overcome cultural differences and academic setbacks. She is graduating to go on to her first choice college, Cornell University.

“On my first test I got a D and I had never gotten one before,” Wang said. “It was a lot for me to handle. I went home and studied a lot and worked hard at translating from textbooks.”

Wang said she was motivated to do well for her family.

“My parents sacrificed a lot for me so I wanted to make them proud,” Wang said. “My mom was always there for me and mentally supporting me.”

Friends and teachers were a big part of her learning process as she adapted to life here.

“The struggle was less of learning and more of fitting in and making friends who have a new and different culture,” Wang said. “In the beginning it was hard because no one real-

ly knew me, and I didn’t really know how to talk to them. It pushed me to go out of my way to join clubs and make friends and talk to people I normally don’t talk to.”

AP Chemistry teacher Jeffrey Moore noticed her hard work in class.

“Her interest in doing her best sets her apart,” Moore said.

“She is genuine, and I knew that if I got work from her it was going to be detailed and wellthought-out.”

Coming to America forced Wang to face challenges and learn from them.

“It definitely made me learn about myself- my strengths and weaknesses and how to make friends,” Wang said. “I learned to always be optimistic and see the brighter side of things, because there are people who are in a worse situation, so I should be happy where I am.”

Moore described Wang as sweet, intelligent and easy to work with.

“She likes to express herself well, and she’s a very systematic problem solver,” Moore said.

Senior Jenny Zhi has been a good friend of Wang’s since middle school.

“She is one of the most hardworking people I’ve met,” Zhi said. “She has avoided all the senioritis going around. She pushes me to try harder, and she’s just really fun to be around.”

Wang said that her desire to succeed has helped her rise above any nerves she might have had.

“People might judge you, but keep on proving yourself,” Wang said. “Try new things, don’t be afraid of reaching out to people because there are always people willing to help. Everyone is on different levels of their learning, so don’t compare yourself to others, because you have different backgrounds and situations.

Even if it seems like others are more capable or smarter than you, always do your best.”

Back for the Future

Wang said that she looks to her future with a sense of excitement and optimism. She applied early decision and was accepted into Cornell.

“I was very glad I made it. I did not expect it at all,” Wang said.

“I wasn’t quite crying but I was really excited.

I want to find out my passion and who I am as a person.”

Wang’s friends and teachers predict h e r

continued success after high school.

“She wanted to grow, and a student like that, she will,” Moore said.

PHOTO BY

ALLACE

MEGAN W

Senior Emily Wang moved to Troy in middle school from China and had to learn English.

Senior Dean Kovatchev will return to Bulgaria to attend Sofia University.

BY SARAH FUNK // CO-FEATURE EDITOR

Senior Dean Kovatchev was born in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, and plans on returning to attend Sofia University in Sofia, Bulgaria to further his education.

Kovatchev moved to America with his family when he was 6 years old.

“When I lived in Bulgaria it was at a super young age so I didn’t see the bad,” Kovatchev said. “All I saw was good and I was around friends all the time.

It was a good vibe, playing soccer with the lads. When I first moved to America, it was tough. I didn’t talk much because people would make fun of my English and my accent. But I got through it and here I am, moving back.”

As the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, Sofia University has been around since 1888 and consists of the “largest and most prestigious educational and scientific cen-

tre in the country,” according to its website. There are around 24,000 students.

Kovatchev intends to major in ophthalmology, a field of medicine that focuses on the study and treatment of the eye. He also plans on training with the semipro Etar basketball club and making beats for Chalga songs, a genre of Bulgarian music.

Bulgaria is nearly 6,000 miles from America, but Kovatchev is no stranger to travel. Kovatchev has visited European countries like Italy, Germany and Hungary.

“I really want to reconnect to the people and culture back home in Bulgaria,” Kovatchev said. “What better way to go back than to go to college in Bulgaria?”

Tuition is far less expensive in Bulgaria, with one year at Sofia University costing only €3300, or around $3,667, whereas the

College Board found that the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2016–2017 school year in America was $33,480 at private colleges, $9,650 for state residents at public colleges and $24,930 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.

Acceptance rates are also higher in Bulgaria due to the lack of people who are able to afford college, resulting in easier admission into college. The only differences between the American application process and the admission in Bulgaria are several supplement tests to equate American students with Bulgarian high school students.

Kovatchev said he is looking forward to spending the rest of his life in Bulgaria after college and expects “more serious studying, more traveling and more serious connections with people.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEAN KOVATCHEV

Senior Dean Kovatchev visits Rila Lakes, Bulgaria.

The Senior Issue

15

Students Not Going to College After Graduation Seniors William Sherwood, Alisha Chen and Noni Fenderson pursue alternate options instead of hitting the books at a university directly after high school.

BY KAITLYN PIGGOTT // STAFF WRITER SILVIA HOXHA // CO-PHOTO EDITOR

Senior Alisa Chen plans on taking a gap year before attending Reed College in Oregon.

As the school year comes to a close, seniors are making the decision to either further their education or pursue alternative options. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 69.7 percent of high school graduates in 2016 continued their education in colleges or universities, while 30.3 percent did not.

Instead of pursuing college straight out of high school, senior William Sherwood enlisted in the military, the first person in his family to do so. He enlisted through the Delayed Entry Program, which includes an agreement for a recruit to begin active duty. “[In the DEP] you have to go into meetings and stuff,” Sherwood said.

Sherwood is going into the Advanced Electronics Computer Field in the Navy.

“I’m going into AECF, which is where you work with missiles and other [munition systems],” Sherwood said.

Sherwood said his family and friends are supportive of his decision, but they are also nervous.

Sherwood is nervous as well but said he is looking forward to it.

“You get to see the world,” Sherwood said. “You get to travel.

Overall, I think it’s a good experience.”

In order to become a part of the military, Sherwood took a test called the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, which decided what job he would be chosen for.

“Be prepared for [ASVAB], and know what you are getting into,” Sherwood said.

After his period overseas, Sherwood plans on going to college as the military will pay for his tuition.

“I want to do physical therapy,” Sherwood said.

He plans on talking with his friends and keeping in touch with them through social media when he is away.

“I’m going to miss the peo-

ple,” Sherwood said. “That’s what made my experience at Troy High- the good friends that I have.”

Another option for students who opt out of going straight into college is the ability to take a gap year. Senior Alisa Chen is going to study Mandarin Chinese at Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Chen is going on a State Department scholarship funded by the National Security Language Initiative for Youth, which pays for students to learn languages abroad.

“I really love learning Chinese and meeting people who are also studying abroad,” Chen said.

“Yes, I’m Chinese, but people aren’t born speaking any language fluently.”

Chen said that she is excited because she is getting to do something she is passionate about.

“My college acceptance is always going to be there, but to study a language intensively for

PHOTO BY SILVIA HOXHA

one year isn’t,” Chen said.

Before Chen goes to Taiwan, she plans to spend the summer volunteering as an organizer for the political campaign of Haley Stevens, who is running for Michigan’s 11th congressional district against Republican incumbent Dave Trott. After that, she will start at the Student Conservation Association in early July in Alaska. The SCA’s mission is to create the next generation of leaders. While there, Chen will be doing trail maintenance as well as environmental science work.

After her gap year, Chen plans on attending Reed College in Portland, Oregon, to study political science and international relations.

Some students may also choose to work after graduating high school. Senior Noni Fenderson is planning to work before attending college.

“I had the opportunity to start at the Oakland Technical Early College,” Fenderson said. “I was

able to [get a head start] through high school. It is a lot cheaper than attending cosmetology school. It gives me more time, so right after high school I can just go in and start working.”

Fenderson said that although she plans on getting her cosmetology license, she also wants to attend college in the future to earn a business degree so she can open her own salon.

“I have liked doing hair my whole life,” Fenderson said. “My aunt is a cosmetologist, and I’m really good at it. I like doing it in my free time.”

Fenderson works at Salon Detroit in downtown Detroit shampooing hair. She is planning on shadowing her cousin, who is a stylist there.

“There is nothing wrong with not wanting to go to school,” Fenderson said. “Eventually, you’ll get where you want to go.

You just have to put in the work, make smart decisions and do whatever makes you happy.”

The Senior Issue

Boudon’s Blueprint

BY JENNY BOUDON // CARTOONIST

248-436-8230

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