In the WKHS class of 2024, 65% of Kilbourne High School students went to a 4-year college, and 21% of students went
to a two-year college. As you can see, college is a major consideration for most high school students; so how can you feel better prepared for such a change? To find out, The Ravine sat down with some of our Kilbourne Alumni and got some helpful tips and things to keep in mind about the college transition process.
The Ravine first sat down with Kilbourne Alumni Rachael McCague, who is currently studying English at the College of William and Mary and abroad at the University of St. Andrews. When asked to give one piece of advice for high school students, McCague emphasized the importance of “working hard…even [when] it doesn’t seem like it will matter.” McCague continued by saying, “it will always be more rewarding to work hard in high school…than to feel like you could have done more” later on.
Kilbourne Alumni Gavin Crozier, who is currently studying political science and economics at Villanova University, spoke with The Ravine about some of his tips for high schoolers. Crozier emphasized the importance of “using resources and talking to people to get a lot of different perspectives” on things. Crozier followed by saying how helpful it can be to “[make] sure you have a well-informed idea of what you are going to do.” To conclude, Crozier made an effort to remind high school students that,”there’s a lot of wisdom to go around” and that learning from people’s lived experiences can be a big help in the transition to a more independent college life.
Next Kilbourne Alumni, Grace Rogers, is a current student at The Ohio State University studying architecture. Rogers shared with The Ravine how incredibly important it is to, “investigate things you like” and to explore the things you are passionate about in your high school years. Rogers further shared her enjoyment of college life and how she loves that, “there are always people around that want to do sporadic and spontaneous things.” Spending time and “doing random things at weird hours” has really helped her get involved and feel more comfortable in such a different environment.
The Ravine lastly got the chance to speak with Samuel Knuth who is currently majoring in nursing at
Marquette University. Knuth’s one piece of advice for high school students of WKHS was to “take every opportunity because you don’t really know what’s past the next door.” College is a very different lifestyle than what most high school students are used to and it can be intimidating, but taking advantage of every opportunity is crucial to exploring the different options and preparing yourself to be more independent in the future.
Though college may seem like a distant thought, it is a good idea to start thinking about what you want to do and where you want to go. With the helpful advice and cooperation of our Worthington Kilbourne Alumni, the hope is that preparing for college will be less stressful and intimidating, and more exciting. Go Wolves!
