Many students have absolutely no clue what they are going to do in life, even some seniors. However, some seniors know exactly what they are going to do following graduation.

CATRICE OLDS:

One of these students is Catrice Olds, who will be attending Dakota Wesleyan University in     

South Dakota. She will major in Business Administration and minor in Nonprofit Administration. Many students, including Olds, have prior experiences in high school that helped them decide what they want to focus on in colleges.

In addition to school work, Olds is involved in many school activities. While one of her most known ones is basketball, she is involved in many clubs and groups that have impacted her high school experience.

“Working in groups in class and being involved in other groups and clubs that empower my voice and ideas have helped me find confidence and assertiveness in the other aspects of my life. I also have found a sense of individualization between the people I work with, which helps me make connections better,” Olds said.

These experiences, combined with her love of working with and helping people, have driven her to want to be a Human Resources Manager or “totally switch majors and be a teacher.”

“I like working with/helping people and I think that I have the ability to motivate people to be their best,”

Olds has been helped by many teachers in her high school career, and they have been instrumental in her success. These include Isaiah Dell, Sherry West, Janice Patterson, Darla Haugarud, Laurel Schmitz and Kelly Winter.

MICHELLE FORLEMU:

Michelle Forlemu is looking to major in Public Policy or Political Science. She is interested in statistics, and is also considering doing something in law. Her dream job is to work as a representative in Congress, but she has a backup if that field doesn’t work out.

Her experiences in various classes in school have helped her find the things she loves to do, and the things that she doesn’t like, such as when she job shadowed for a marketing place downtown and fell asleep.

“We spent 30 minutes talking about t

he shade. [It was for] window panels for a construction business and I was just like, ‘I can’t do this’,” Forlemu said.

After realizing that the marketing field wasn’t for her, she started thinking about other fields that she might enjoy, including politics.

At first, it didn’t seem like something she could do or have as a career. Forlemu says that she thought politics was more of a hobby and didn’t think she could actually pursue it as a job. She started to realize throughout high school, however, that it was actually something that she wanted to, and could, pursue.

“I’ve always liked political activism and advocacy and social justice. I was already in a lot of those clubs at school, so maybe I can just do this for the rest of my life,” Forlemu said.

Forlemu has had many leadership positions in her career, with some of the most prominent being Key Club, Equity Cadre and Leadership Cadre. She was also a member of the Young Democrats State Board.

“What motivates me now is I just feel very strongly about helping others and I can make a wall or I can make policies that can help people in difficult predicaments, like immigration,” Forlemu said.

This is one of the things that she wants to work on and fix in her future. According to Forlemu, America’s immigration system is very outdated, and it hurts people who are just getting an education. She also wants to work on helping people afford healthcare and transportation for LPS students.

Some students may believe that they won’t do well in college, and won’t find success, but Olds thinks that they should think again.

“There are so many people who believe in you and are there to support you, so don’t give up on your dreams,” Olds said.