Record number preparing for early graduation

By: Sarah Stortz

The first semester of the school year is finally winding down, which for most means two weeks of relaxing and not having a worry about school at all; however, for some students, it marks the ends of their high school careers.

Around 40 seniors are planning to graduate early this year as soon as finals are over, which is about 10 more students graduating compared to last year. Students interested in leaving early filled out forms with their parents’ or guardians’ signatures by Oct. 1. They are also days away from passing the final courses for the 45 credits that are required for graduation by the end of the first semester.

According to counselor Susan Langan, the reasons to graduate early are incredibly varied, ranging from starting college the second semester to working second semester for college money in the fall.

“We always stress to them to make sure and take advantage of college credits here,” she said. “but a lot of times, for whatever reason, they feel like this is a better decision for them.” According to Langan many factors contribute to students’ choices. “It’s really a case by case thing, but they may have family changes, and it might be something that benefits them to get it done and leave in January.”

One of the early graduates is senior Hannah Mattingly, who said, “I don’t like high school very much, and I don’t need to be in it anymore.”

Mattingly plans to work right after school and make money for when she’s going to college in August.

Another students who is planning to graduate is senior Chase Buckingham. Similar to Mattingly, Buckingham wants to leave because she doesn’t really like high school either. “I just really want to get out of here and out of Iowa.”

As soon as she leaves, Buckingham says that she really wants to pursue her tattooing career that she has wanted to begin for about three years.

Alexys Abbas

Kaleb Bengston

Chase Buckingham

Madison Corwin

Ashley Draeger

Austin Fernau

David Frederick

Hannah Hanson

Madeline Heath

Hunter Heiselman

Jacob Juhl

Paige Jungweber

Alec Larsen

Alex Leytem

Caleb Lovell

Nicole Loy

Claire Matson

Hannah Mattingly

London Moore

Dillon O’Neil

Colton Petersen

Katherine Pitzenberger

Shyann Reichert

Alexander Rodriguez

Silvia Rodriguez

Diana Rojas

Brianna Sankey

Tayben Sankey

Sustin Smith

Tristan Smoot

Shelby Souhrada-

Rogers

Noah Terrell

Joseph Thrall

Daniel Wilkens

Jaime Wilson

Jordan Wilson

Rachel Wilson

Yuzhe Zhuang