WOODBURY — Graduating high school is made into a huge deal with parties, gifts, and even trips for some seniors. But is graduation something to be celebrated to this large of an extent?
91% of Americans graduate high school (US Census, 2022), while around 40% of Americans achieve a bachelor’s degree and around 14% have a more advanced degree. Attaining a high school diploma is an expectation in today’s workforce. Getting handed a diploma may not be a big deal, but what hard work was done in those four years that wasn’t mandatory is something to be proud of.
To graduate from Nonnewaug, a student must have nine humanities credits, nine STEM credits, four elective credits, and a mastery-based assessment credit. This is only 25 credits total. It isn’t hard to do at all, and it is incredibly easy to earn Ds in the required classes and get handed a diploma.
Students can choose how they want to attain these credits; some will take AP and dual-enrollment classes, some will take honors, and some will do the absolute bare minimum. At public schools, there is a range of effort that can be put into education in high school. Students who go above and beyond should be incredibly proud and celebrated in a higher regard than those who didn’t.
Students should be celebrated for their individual achievements rather than the physical diploma.
About 6% of teenage boys start their own business in high school (Junior Achievement, 2024). At Nonnewaug, hearing that students from the agriculture program that they started their own or are taking over the agriculture program is far from uncommon. Students as young as sophomores are starting their own business in agricultural fields and becoming successful before they even graduate from high school.
This is something to be proud of for these individuals. Many of them then continue to grow their business after high school becoming young entrepreneurs. Often, the boys in the agricultural program who may not care as much about academics are seen as people who slack off. In reality, using their energy towards building their career after high school is not slacking off at all. Maybe they don’t take the hardest classes, they still get their diploma but with much different achievement that should be recognized in their own way.
On the other hand, there are students who stand out for their academic achievements. Students from the senior class are attending schools such as Yale, Boston College, Northeastern, and Colgate. All of these schools are highly regarded universities which are not easy to get into, with acceptance rates ranging from 4-17%. This group of students should be proud of their academic success. This group of students spent more of their energy towards extracurricular activities and academics to build their resume for college. They most likely had a rigorous course load but will get the same piece of paper as everyone else. Students should be seen for their individual achievements not graduating solely.
There are students who excel in many different areas. Some will be recognized for their artistic achievements, some their achievements in agriculture education, and some for work-related achievements outside of school. The class of 2025 at Nonnewaug is diverse in interests but is filled with hard workers.
Every single student at Nonnewaug has a unique offering that cannot be encompassed by a universal piece of paper where only the name is changed. When someone you know graduates, don’t tell them you are proud they simply graduated; be specific and recognize them as an individual and what they specifically accomplished over the last four years. Success isn’t a one size fits all and young adults are much more than a piece of paper that 91% of Americans receive.
This is the opinion of Emma Bigman, a senior reporter for the Chief Advocate.
