What value VHS students attribute

to college and why

By Dylan Carmody, Reporter

For many students at VHS, high school is just the beginning of the next chapter in their lives, serving as a starting block to dive into a wide expanse of opportunities as an adult. One of these opportunities that students obtain is attending college, which several students have aspirations to achieve.

In a survey by the Riptide, VHS students shared their reasons for attending college; responses vary from obligation, passion, equity, or a drive to break away the mold that had been previously made for them. Collin Sikora, a junior at VHS, explains his motivation to become a doctor.

“I just think helping people and being a doctor lets me help people. And it’s important for me to help people,” Sikora said.

For students like Sikora, the justification for attending college is focused on making a positive contribution to the community. Understanding these motivations is only the first step though.

For Senior Davis Kelly, his motivation was finding that balance between rowing and schooling.

“I know that I wanted to row in college. And so that was a factor as well, you know, the team; but I’ve always tried to put academics first before sports and I thought that Brown was a really great combination of academics and athletics.” Kelly said.

Kelly’s biggest external factor that pushed his decision has always been to find a college that is nice, fun, and productive. It is clear that without these underlying factors, his college experience wouldn’t be the one he was striving to achieve. His resolve to attend college is based on wanting an environment where he can carve out his own place in both the school and the rowing team. At the same time, he seeks to maintain that balance he has here between his school life and athletic career. To this end, Brown provides hope for Kelly aspirations.

“It’s like everybody’s there to learn. Everybody there is sort of motivated in the same way and is really interested in what they’re doing. I think what college allows you to do is select a path and pick something that you’re really interested in in a way that’s unique” Kelly Said.