Searcy (LP) On the first day of ninth grade you think you have the whole world ahead of you. Four years seem so long, but before you know it you have two months left in your senior year. You’re making big decisions and wondering if everything is going to turn out all right. There are many different paths we can take. Some of us will be doctors, others teachers, politicians, stay-at-home parents, computer programmers, farmers, mechanics, and everything else. There is no one size fits all path for life. Today, there are so many different options for graduating students to choose from. In Arkansas alone there are over 40 post secondary institutions. Students who choose to go outside of Arkansas have even broader options with over 7,200 schools. There are popular college choices among Searcy students that include ASU, ASU-Beebe, and UCA. With the rise of STEM and technology in our society, students pursuing majors such as computer science and medicine have increased.

Savannah Edwards, a senior, is planning to pursue a biomedical degree from Ouachita Baptist University. Like many seniors, she will be moving to a new town away from her family and friends. She says that she is most looking forward to “making new friends and living in a new town.” She says she chose Ouachita because of their three year biomedical program. Even though she thinks the hardest part of college will be “adjusting to a new environment and
new people,” she is looking forward to a new adventure. She says that most of all she will “miss her friends and her home in the country.” When asked to give advice to freshman she said, “Get involved–because I didn’t. And don’t procrastinate because it will hurt you.” To juniors starting their college search she advises, “Visit the campus. Look at a lot of different colleges because their all unique in their own way.”

Even though a lot of students choose to move away for school, there are a lot of great opportunities in and around Searcy High School. Senior Bethany Corkran has chosen to attend Harding University in the fall as an education major. She chose Harding because it is close to home, which is important to her. She is very family oriented and feels like she’s just not ready to completely leave her parents yet. She says her favorite part of Harding is “their faith and Christian-centered approach. Also their chapel, it is so beautiful.” She says she looks forward to rooming with her close friend Hope Walker and can’t wait to see what the next four years hold. She suspects the hardest part of college  will be “having self-discipline to attend class, study, and do laundry.”  She advises freshman to “create good study habits now and then you won’t struggle as much in the AP classes.” Due to college being very expensive she advises juniors to “start applying for scholarships early. It takes a lot of stress out later.” She says most of all she will miss the lunch time bible study she has been a major part of. Even though this time is bittersweet, she looks forward “to continuing on God’s path for her life.”