Many of us can remember high school vividly: students in the hallways, lunchroom food, football Friday nights, band camp, dissecting frogs, and working in the wood shop. We probably remember the smell of teenage bodies, cheers of excitement during pep assemblies, sounds of movies/videos in classrooms, the feel of sweat during athletic contests. High school graduation: a culmination of grade school, the beginning of post-secondary education, a continuation of lifelong learning.

On May 15-16, seniors at Marshalltown High School participated in Senior Decision Days by declaring their next steps beyond graduation. These decisions are as varied as the diversity of the student body: military enlistment, 4-year private college, 2-year college, 4-year public university, workforce, post-secondary training in Iowa, post-secondary training outside of Iowa, and unknown. Making this decision started back in 8th grade when students were required to think about their strengths and career interest areas. They visited the high school to learn about the elective courses that would provide experiences to reinforce their career interest areas. Students were then engaged in work-based learning to further expose them to the career cluster that would fit their future lifestyles.

Mark Perna, author of “Answering Why,” has worked extensively with the Marshalltown Community School District to help staff understand this next generation of high school students. In his book, he shared that students in this generation “want a job that means something….They want a job that rewards them with experiences rather than just money.” Thus, after four years of career exploration, interest inventories, and coursework, students made decisions about the level of post-secondary training needed to enter the workforce at a level that fits their future lifestyles: college, vocational training, on-the-job training, etc.

Along with this, students wrestle with the possibility of mounting college debt. The average cost of attending a 2-year college in Iowa is $6,300 per year; a 4-year college in Iowa is $20,762 per year. On May 23, MHS graduates received scholarships totaling $1,060,440. Sixty percent of MHS graduates indicate that they plan to attend post-secondary education. Student concerns about filling this financial gap is valid as just 40% will stay in school and finish their degrees.

Fortunately, through our partnership with Marshalltown Community College (MCC), many Marshalltown High School students have been able to engage in college-level coursework that transfer to universities. Marshalltown Community School District expends approximately $300,000 per semester for students to have this opportunity in advanced education. Some of the college-level coursework is in career academies: nursing, welding, automotive, and construction. One MHS student has graduated from MCC with an Associate’s Degree and many other MHS graduates have earned enough credits to begin their sophomore-level college coursework. Four MHS students earned diplomas in career-technical areas like welding and automotive. Still more students have become certified in Nurse Aide, ServSafe and Culinary Apprentice. These students can move into training at the next level in their fields or join the workforce beyond entry level. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in February of 2024, there were 83,000 job openings in Iowa. The Class of 2024 has a world of opportunities ahead of them if they are willing to obtain the education and/or technical training necessary.

Finally, according to the World Economic Forum, employees change jobs on average 12 times before age 55. With the demands of employers requiring advanced technical skills, employees will have many careers. The Class of 2024 has to be resilient and flexible as they join the world of adults. While in high school, the Class of 2024 engaged in the social/emotional skill building to face an ever-changing business industry standards and ever-changing world. As Mark Perna stated, “If the WANT TO is strong enough, the HOW TO will come!” The Class of 2024 leaves Marshalltown High School with the skill set to make their dreams come true.

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Jacqueline Wyant is the principal

of Marshalltown High School.