Assignments pile up, college application due dates grow closer, extracurriculars and leadership positions consume hours that don’t seem to exist, and another milestone apathetically floats by. Seniors sit in the crossroads of high school and their next steps: college or beginning their careers. But where do they see themselves in 10 years?
Senior Charlie Rollins plans to be an aspiring shock trauma surgeon and believes he will be completing his residency in 10 years. He plans to major in biology or biochemistry at a well-regarded medical institution like Cornell University, University of Virginia, or Rice University to be challenged with rigorous coursework and access research opportunities. To achieve his professional pursuits, Rollins strengthened his interpersonal skills throughout high school by serving as SGA co-president. “I’ve learned how to connect with people and maintain relationships through small acts of care. This is important because as a doctor I’d be working on a team and you need to be able to get along with others,” Rollins said.
Interning at this school’s DNA Lab has prepared senior Danielle Rubin for her future career. In 10 years, she hopes to have traveled, be living near the ocean, and be employed as a researcher, after earning her PhD. At the undergraduate level, she “would love to major in biochemistry at a school in California because that environment and study would make [her] happy and prepare [her] for the real world,” Rubin said.
Completing internships at non-profit mental health organizations and crisis centers throughout high school has helped senior Sol Berrellez clarify her future trajectory. She envisions herself majoring in sociology or social work and in 10 years, Sol plans to be completing her PhD. “I want to do something in the realm of social work so I can help people, that’s always been a big passion of mine, especially [helping] underprivileged communities,” Berrellez said.
Senior Aiden Scherr is an aspiring physicians assistant and hopes to be living alone in an apartment in ideally New York, Chicago, or Pittsburgh or in a suburban area like Rockville in 10 years from now. He wants to major in biology and go to a “big research school so I can have opportunities to network, do research and hopefully find internships at hospitals or clinics. “I’ve interned at one of our local hospitals last summer to see if healthcare is what I actually want to go into. I’m glad I got the opportunity as it helped me narrow down jobs that I do/do not want to do,” Scherr said.
After taking AP Chemistry and interning for the class at this school, senior Shayna Kreiser aims to major in chemistry at either the University of Maryland or Lehigh University. In 10 years, she hopes to be a chemist or researcher at a local, large-scale research institution like the NIH. “I’ve always dreamed of living in Europe (as one should) but I don’t think it would be realistic. If I was thinking in that sense, I would probably stay in the DMV area,” Kreiser said.
Senior Ryan Shin aims to pursue a career encompassing engineering and politics. He hopes to study both on the undergraduate level and explore the intersection between the two industries. In pursuit of his ambitions, Shin took challenging STEM courses throughout high school and participated in SGA to “build leadership skills that will easily translate into public policy and political sciences,” Shin said.
Senior Amelia Kaib is currently a teacher aide in an honors physics class and intends to further her interest in understanding the unknown regions of space by majoring in physics. In 10 years, she plans to “be working alongside a space corporation, the Air Force, and/or the Space Force to conduct research on our planet and the universe as a whole,” Kaib said.
Committing to a college and deciding on a career plan is an exorbitant amount of pressure for teenagers who are still trying to determine their place in the world. Exploring colleges through Naviance, navigating the Common Application and reaching out for assistance in the College and Career Center can help students refine their interests, establish their trajectory and evaluate next steps. “It was my counselor who pushed me to do my internship,” Kaib said.
