Future Thinkers by Morgan

Future Thinkers by Morgan - September 2019 Scholarship Essay

Thinking of a new club for Northview High School was no easy feat. Between SADD, French Club, BUJO (Bullet Journaling), WAVE, Drama Club, Peer Listeners, National Honor Society, and the upcoming Woman Up club, we've covered quite a few bases. I decided to think about what I wanted in a club. What am I lacking in my life that could better me and what is one thing all of my peers and myself have in common? Our pursuit of higher education. College is spoken in schools just as retirement is spoken in the "real world." It is a goal to be worked towards with no actual lessons on how to get there. If I could start one after school club, it would be Future Thinkers: Preparing For Your Life Beyond High School.
I've recently been applying for college and scholarships and trying to determine how to meet financial needs for college. It's a lot, especially for a teenager who has no real sense of money. Since freshman year, I've heard I should start planning for college and saving up but something has always come in the way: a new laptop, new shoes, dinner out with friends. Now I'm sitting here wondering how to pay for college. With the Future Thinkers Club, we would discuss how to finance college and what route should be taken for your planned career. Should you attend a trade school to save money and get a degree in something that is tailored to your interests? Does your career path allow you to skip college altogether and join the workforce straight out of high school? I feel that too often these days, kids jump into college without realizing there are other options for them. College is not for everyone. You would never parent two different children in the exact same way so they should not be encouraged to follow the exact same post-secondary education plan either.
We can't simply address college without discussing your future career either. College or trade schools are just a step towards your career goals. There are more than just jobs in STEM-related fields. I have many friends who would be quite talented in the arts field but their immediate support group has the archaic belief that there is no money in this field. Jobs in the arts are on the rise and children and teens should be encouraged to pursue those jobs. Where would we be without graphic design artists or singers or directors? The world would be a boring place. Future Thinkers would be a place where teenagers are encouraged to pursue what they love despite what others may think. You can't take money to the grave and while you need it to prosper in life, we should focus on our experiences during our time here on Earth, not the digits in our bank account.
The final, and probably most beneficial, aspect of Future Thinkers would be guest speakers. These would be people in the community: current college or trade school students. college or trade school graduates, entrepreneurs, students who took a gap year, and people in the workforce who skipped college altogether. The goal of this would be to compare experiences and to allow students to decide which path best suits their needs, not their parents. Perhaps a mentorship program could be put in place for one on one conversations to be held in a positive environment. Giving students the resources to ask questions to people who have been in their position is important. The students of today need to be supported by the students of yesterday. We need to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly. The only way to make educated decisions is by being completely transparent with the entire process.