Seniors Ensure Underclassmen Future Success

By; Peyton Stoike

As the seniors are graduating and leaving Alliance High School, it is time to start preparing for the underclassmen to take over. On April 19, while the juniors were taking the ACT, a few seniors and other adults gave a presentation to the freshman and sophomores.

The presentation given was not only to encourage future plans, there was also some indication for classes that the freshman and sophomores should sign up for next year.

Junior English teacher, Mrs. Smith, put together the whole presentation for the students. She gathered adults to speak from BNSF, WNCC Lineman School, the National Guard, the Army, John Deere, and special guest, Frank Thompson. Mrs. Smith also organized a group of involved seniors to talk about different activities and experiences of high school. The chosen seniors put together a presentation of their assigned topics and spoke to the freshman and sophomores after the other speakers were done.

Erica Escamilla started the senior presentation off with the topic of “why should I care about my education?”. Her topic included the details of taking your education for granted and how those who are involved in the migrant program are lucky to be here and to get the education that most people take for granted.

Elizabeth Rivera’s topic entailed how taking dual credit courses in high school can further your career in a post secondary school and how being involved really helped. Tia Love’s her topic was over how to balance all that you are involved in in high school and outside of school.

Sophi Sanchez was next in the presentation with her story and the process of KHOP, otherwise known as Kearney Health Opportunities Program. Peyton Stoike was next with National Honor Society, Choir, and Journalism. Her topics all basically promoted involvement. Emmy Green followed with band and the opportunities. Carson Hadden and Hannah Korte were next with Annual and the opportunities that taking the creative writing class can bring. The final speakers on the slideshow were Brendan Brehmer and Lane Lauder. They talked about sports, the scholarships one can receive if one works hard enough and also the importance of academics and being successful at both.

Although not on the slideshow, Mrs. Smith also asked seniors Monique Wing, Dylan Peterson, Ty Redecker, and Emilio Ponce to talk about their decision in joining a branch of the military.

Each person that spoke encouraged the freshman and sophomores to widen their horizons and think about their futures. Each speaker had a different outlook or path in life. The class of 2017 has, for the most part, determined their next step after high school. Sooner than later, it will be the underclassmen’s turn to decide. Mrs. Smith’s intentions were to show the underclass men have more than one option with their future after high school.

The Underclassmen Perspective

By: Luxie West

As a sophomore, sitting at the assembly of future opportunities after high school, I gained a lot of insight on some of the opportunities that are available in the Alliance community. Many speakers were there to talk about their professions and hobbies, and let the freshmen and sophomore classes ask questions.

Listening to Frank Thompson, a former AHS student,  speak about his story about how he got started with

shooting and his way to the Olympic games was very inspiring to hear, and drove me to push myself harder in the activities I am involved in. It showed me that there is more than just being involved in extra-curricular activities and that I really am apart of something bigger than myself.

“Frank’s speech inspired me to push myself not only in academics, but also more in sports. He gave a great example of what can happen if you put your best foot forward,” said sophomore Blythe Boness.

Staff Sergeant Summers and Staff Sergeant Page both informed students about the many things that you could go into when joining the Army or National Guard. It was interesting to learn about the different benefits you get when you join, like scholarship money for college. They talked about how it is much more than being at combat, and how are the doors are open to anyone who wants to be apart of it.

Brooke Owens gave a lot of information out to students about BNSF and that there is so much more to just being an engineer or conductor. There are yardmasters, mechanics, general managers, and even human resource. She told us that you don’t always have to start exactly where you think you want to be. It takes time to get where you want to end up, and that is okay to go through different career choices before you find the one. I think that hearing that was really good for us underclassmen, because some of us have an idea of what we want to do when we graduate and do not realize it might change. It let not only me, but the rest of my peers know that you do not have to have your decision made right now.

Listening to the seniors talk about the things they have been involved in over their last four years of high school really helped open some of the student’s eyes about some of the classes or extracurricular activities that might spike their interest. I think it was a good idea to have them speak to us students before registering for our classes next year so that we could have an idea of what classes are like. Most of my peers have an idea of what we want to do later in life, so classes that will help us get a more background knowledge before heading off to college in a few years is important.

The importance of being exposed to different things we are able to do in a few years is very important. I feel that by having upperclassmen talk about real life experiences makes underclassmen- realize the true benefits of high school.