While many seniors spend their final year of high school juggling AP classes and college applications, some students choose a different route: breaking from the typical high school to a four-year college pipeline. 

Tamiscal Pathways opportunities:

At Tamiscal High School, the Pathways program offers seniors an alternative to the traditional classroom experience, allowing students to take more community college courses and immerse themselves in an internship, both of which help students gain real-world experience before graduating from high school.

Katya Petraitis is among the 40 students currently enrolled in the Pathways program. After spending three years at Redwood, she transferred into the program to create a more personalized schedule that felt meaningful to her. 

“At Redwood, I felt really stagnant; it was the same schedule every day. It was boring, and I just didn’t feel very passionate about what I was doing. Joining Pathways allowed me to choose my schedule and what I wanted to do for my senior year,” Petraitis said. 

The Pathways program is designed to give seniors more flexibility in how they learn and spend their time. For Petraitis, that meant hands-on learning to gain real-world experience. 

“Through Pathways, I got an internship at a veterinary clinic, so I’ve been working with animals. [The internship] really [cemented that veterinary studies were] what I was passionate about. I’ve volunteered at a few places before, but [now] I know I want to do something animal-science or biology-oriented,” Petraitis said. “I’ve been able to watch surgeries, give vaccines, learn [more about] the vet world and get [a lot of future] job experience.”

Pathways has shifted the focus of her senior year from checking academic boxes to pursuing interests, and provides a preview of what college life could look like.  

“The best thing about Pathways [is that] their main focus is letting seniors do what they’re passionate about,” Petraitis said. “It has allowed me to be so much more independent, and it’s a really good way to figure out what you actually want to do [in the future].”

Graduating from high school early:

Sam Hjelmstad is one of the few seniors this year who chose to graduate early from Redwood and use the extra time to explore interests outside the classroom before starting college next year.

“I’ve never really been a big fan of [traditional] school, so when I learned that I could graduate early [and break the usual routine,] I sort of jumped at the chance,” Hjelmstad said. “[With more free time], it feels like I have more bandwidth to do things I actually care about.” 

Currently, Hjelmstad is acting with the Ross Valley Players, performing “The Book of Will” play at the community theater at the Marin Art and Garden Center. His roles on stage have allowed him to develop his acting skills beyond the foundation he built in Redwood’s Ensemble Production Company.

“I felt I had done everything that was [offered at Redwood], so I figured I would see what the greater Marin area had to offer,” Hjelmstad said. “[In addition to acting], I’ve also been pursuing music — I’ve been playing around different areas and performing at open mics and playing some gigs [at venues like HopMonk Tavern].”   

While the process of graduating early took some coordination, ultimately, Hjelstad explained that it was worth it to create a schedule that better fit his interests. 

“[My counselor and I] worked together to make sure I [completed] all of my [high school] credits. It’s a process, and you have to make sure you stay on top of it,” Hjelmstad said. “[I’m now appreciating the] freedom. When you’re at school, you’re always thinking about [what you could do]. Now, I can explore whatever [I’m interested in].” 

Gap year option after graduation:

Some students, like Jasmina Abughosh, choose to take a gap year between graduating from high school and attending a traditional four-year college. Along with taking online college classes, Abughosh is leaving the country to visit family in Germany and spend some time in Spain. With these online college courses, she aims to have enough credits to be a sophomore when she returns for college.

“With online classes, I’ll still have the same credits and graduate at the same time as everyone else,” Abughosh said.

Abughosh plans to return to the United States halfway through the year and work to save up for college in the following year. She believes that the experiences provided by her year abroad will provide her with more insight for when she attends college.

“I think I will have more to say and more experiences to talk about,” Abughosh said.

Since Abughosh will be taking classes that contribute necessary credits for a timely graduation and will be gaining new experiences abroad, she believes that more seniors should consider a gap year and all the opportunities it can offer students.

“I think [a gap year] isn’t talked about [very often, but] is a really good opportunity because you’ll still keep up [with your education],” Abughosh said. 

For Abughosh, the year ahead offers a unique balance of academic experience and personal exploration before beginning university. 

With the extra time, flexibility and independence these alternative options offer seniors, students can reach their end goals through a personalized process. While these alternative paths require planning, they open the door to new experiences that shape seniors’ direction beyond high school.