Junior on track to graduate early

Junior Alex Weidenbacher

While the majority of high school students decide to just wait and graduate after three full years at the high school, a good chunk of students decide to graduate at the end of first semester in their senior year, and this year one junior will exit an entire year early if all goes according to her plans.

CFHS counselor Josh Carnelley said that every year “there are around 20 to 25 seniors [who graduate early] and one, maybe two, juniors.”

This year, just one junior has decided to graduate a year early: Alex Weidenbacher, who said, “I want to get on with my life and make something of myself.”

However the road isn’t completely smooth sailing. “I haven’t finished my senior credits yet, so I’m taking a bunch of online classes,” Weidenbacher said.

As the second semester of the school year kicks off, the already short amount of time is crunched even shorter for this junior, but that’s not stopping a determined Weidenbacher, who said, “I’m taking classes that are a month long in [about] two weeks.”

There are a couple more main steps that students must complete if they’re looking to graduate early. “You have to be accepted into a post-secondary education, and the school board has to approve of your early graduation,” Carnelley said.

Nothing is fully set in stone, but Weidenbacher said, “I’m thinking of going to Hawkeye for a semester and then transferring to UNI.”

This past semester there were 23 seniors who took advantage of the early graduation and ended their high school careers a semester early right before the new year.

Though it is an option, early graduation isn’t for everyone. “It depends what you’re looking for and what you want,” Weidenbacher said.

The world outside the high school doors and walls is very different for everyone. Most people thrive on the newness of it and adjust very well. “Every student is different; different situation, student and why [they want to graduate early],” Carnelley said. “Every student needs a specific plan.”