Early Graduates Prepare to Leave
By Rylee Altwine
Pierce High School offers a unique opportunity for its seniors, allowing them to graduate in December.
There are many requirements that come with being able to graduate early, like having three courses of math, three courses in science, government, and four English classes. Students must also have a total of 250 credits.
In order to graduate at semester, students must take government and English in the first semester. If students graduate early, they get the option to walk at the graduation ceremony in May if they wish.
This year, Pierce has a total of 14 seniors leaving in December. These seniors are Chloe Bernhardt, Bergin Gossmann, Bryce Lindstrom, Addisyn Ludden, Zane McKeown, Daymen Mucker, Zachary Pendergast, Brianna Rundell, Tristan Unseld, Peyton Brunckhorst, Addison Willer, Brody Coulter, Jackson Fischer, and Clay White.
“I am not going to college right away. I plan to go in the fall. After I turn 18, I plan to do an internship at Farmer’s Pride. I am also looking forward to walking at graduation,” Willer said.
“I am graduating early because I want to get a head start on my college classes. I am going to Northeast Community College to start my gen ed classes in January. After that, I will transfer to the University of South Dakota and major in either accounting or agribusiness leadership. I plan on coming back in May to walk at graduation,” Bernhardt said.
This is a great opportunity for many students to get a head start on college or work. Some may choose to take college classes during the spring semester, which will give them a little look at how college actually works. Many though will get jobs during the spring and wait until the fall of next year to start their journey in college.
