The majority of high schoolers go to college after graduating. However, this isn’t the only path available. There are a few other paths available for students, like trades, military, and even sports.
The BOCES program, which is offered at many schools, lets students get hands-on experience in many fields. Sam Edwards is a 2024 graduate from Victor. In addition to BOCES, Sam participated in the Victor Marching Band and Indoor Percussion Ensemble. Sam was a very well-rounded student.
Sam said that BOCES had prepared him for the workplace by giving him the tools and skills that he needed to work on electrical circuits, which helped him get a job. Sam says that his life has changed to where, instead of having more freedom in school, he works 40 hours a week in a structured workday. Another difference is that he’s only focused on the workplace now, and not many different subjects in the school. As he said, “I only have to think about my electrical knowledge that I learned then some of the other subjects that were in school.”
A typical day for Sam looks like this: He gets up at 6:30 AM to make his breakfast and lunch, while getting ready to go to work. He leaves for work around 7:40, so he can be on the job site on time, where he works until either the job is done or the workday ends, and then he returns to the job site the next day if the job needs to be finished. Sam has worked on conveyor belts, putting in outlets, receptacles, light switches, office wiring, and other similar stuff for 8 hours a day.
Sam’s tip for seniors is “Do something that you like, especially if you are looking for a job in the future because if you go out every day for an eight-hour workday, you can find that it gets repetitive and boring if you’re not having fun with it I really enjoy electrical work and working with my hands so I find that it’s easy for me to get through the day sometime.”
Many students after high school head to college, trades, or military after graduation. However, for 2024 graduate Max McCabe, he chose a different path. Max went straight to playing hockey for the Hershey Cubs in the USPHL.
While in high school, Max played for the Canandaigua Knights, a club team based in Canandaigua. However, in spring 2024, Max went on vacation to Long Beach California, where he was given his first opportunity to play junior hockey. He spent the end of the season with the Long Beach Shredders, who are now the Long Beach Bombers, in the USPHL.
Max says that one of the biggest differences between a youth team, like a club or a high school team, and a junior team, is the team’s culture. Max says that they’re definitely closer than a club or high school team, however the rookies do get hazed. He says that anything from harmless pranks to genuinely pissing each other off all ends up as something to expect while in juniors.
An average day for Max goes like this: waking up around 8, eating breakfast around 8:20, and leaving the house by 8:30 to go to the gym for a solo workout. He finishes his workout around 10, then drives to the rink, about 1.5 to 2 hours before practice, which is standard for juniors.
He and his teammates do a lot of team bonding, like soccer or knee hockey, and they are on the ice from 12:30-2:15, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, there are team lifts from 2:30-3:30. After that the rest of the day is free.
Some advice from Max is “To anyone looking into junior hockey, make sure you enjoy the area of where you’re going, don’t expect anything immediately because everything is earned, and if you have a car there’s a high chance you’re gonna pick up your foreign teammates. It’s a great experience for anyone that wants to play college hockey.”
In conclusion, there are multiple paths for students after high school that don’t involve college. There’s going to the workforce, sports, and military as other choices. Students have many opportunities in life and should experience it to the fullest.
