![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
![All smiles. The group poses for a photo with last year’s book, “This is Our House,” along with their award for third Best in Show. Meikle, who was an Editor-in-Chief for the yearbook last year as well, holds both and stands at the center of the group. “That was an amazing feeling, going and grabbing the third place award,” Meikle said. “All of it paid off. I cried so much over that book, being able to receive [the award] was one of the highlights of my high school career, it was like the coolest thing ever.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/8bookpose_philly-1200x800.jpg)
Those who leave
A student who graduated early gives insight on every aspect of early graduation.
Graduation for most happens in mid-June, but a small few students choose to graduate earlier than the rest.
Jaden Goldschmidt graduated early this year.
“I wanted to play competitive club Ultimate frisbee with a men’s team in Portland, and I couldn’t do school and the team with the time commitment being too much with practicing and traveling, so I decided to finish my two required classes online, so I could focus on training.”
The hardest part for Goldschmitt was “not being able to see my friends every day was a struggle on some friendships.”
The school supports students who graduate early, Goldschmitt said “the school work was on me to finish but yes, my teachers and (Michelle) Olson were very supportive and helpful in the process”
Counselor Krystal Toderick said the two main reasons that some students choose to graduate early is that they have finished their schooling and they are ready to move on to a greater challenge and that they have already got everything socially out of high school.
Toderick also said the hardest part of early graduation for most kids is the scheduling because there are some classes you have to take to graduate and it can be hard finding and scheduling these mandatory classes.
Four-year colleges don’t like early graduation, Toderick said, because they feel like the students may not be ready for the challenge that is college and that two-year colleges don’t care about early graduation.
Some colleges even require for students to prove that they are mature enough for college by having a section in the application essays asking why students chose to graduate early. Colleges might also require some sort of evaluation to prove readiness
Early graduation can be beneficial to some and not beneficial to others, and that is just a case-by-case scenario, according to Toderick.
Some colleges think when you graduate early you may not be mature enough or ready for college, but graduating early can allow you to join the workforce faster and get a head start on life. It can also allow you to challenge yourself and move on to bigger things.
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Between hanging out with his friends, playing basketball at a park on a sunny day and being a freshman on campus, Aleks Brooks, is loving the new-found...
