With college always on their minds, our seniors have taken a variety of electives and APs tailored for their future careers.
Seniors shared their experience with the classes in hopes of enlightening underclassmen.
“I enjoyed ceramics,” senior Kate Gorney said. “I’m not a creative person, so it helped bring out my imagination, and there were so many opportunities to make your imagination grow. I know I’ll look back at this class and cherish the memories I made.”
Gorney plans to major in criminology or criminal justice, so she wanted to take core classes to align with her concentration.
“I’m interested in law, so I enrolled in CP Government. A lot of people would have different opinions, but I really enjoyed this class because it was really interesting to see how our law system works,” Gorney said. “In Mr. Hall’s class, we watched videos that were based on individuals to see where they fall politically.”
Although the class curriculum stands out the most, seniors found that teachers can also be the reason they benefited from the class.
“Mr. Fulmer taught me that you wouldn’t be where you are without mistakes,” Gorney said. “And that life is good, but if you don’t find the good in everything, then your life isn’t going to be good.”
These classes, though fun and energizing, can also be a test of the student’s capabilities.
“The most challenging class for me was Honors Bio, but as long as you put the effort in and take the time to understand each intricate piece of each lesson, then you’re setting yourself up for success,” Gorney said. “I think Mrs. Sloan did a good job preparing us to use the 24-hour rule. Because if you get your work done 24 hours in advance, then you’re not as stressed.”
Frank Lagguatta, a senior and student athlete at OPHS, wants to take a different path towards business.
“I didn’t really enjoy a lot of classes, but the one that I enjoyed the most would be economics because it taught me how to use money in the real world,” Lagguatta said.
Not only do teachers have an impact in the classroom, but also outside the classroom setting.
“Mr. Cook had really great examples and a lot of analogies. I had a great connection with him and I would talk about the stock market with him after class, and overall, I had a great time,” Lagguatta said.
Senior Johnny Vanderlaan wants to chase after mechanical engineering.
“I enjoyed AP stats the most as Mr. Micek incorporated a lot of humor into the lectures and was very clearly passionate about his subject,” Vanderlaan said.
This year will be Micek’s last year teaching at OPHS, but the class itself still offers many values.
“The material is also crucial to learn for success in one’s daily life as understanding basic probability and hypothesis testing helps interpret data much more analytically,” Vanderlaan said.
No matter who you are or what interests you, a class can change your perspective on the world, even if the class is as short as a semester or as long as a year. According to seniors, by giving yourself strength and direction, you can get a lot out of the curriculum of OPHS classes.
