If you are a junior, I have something you should be considering and thinking about. In a year when you are seniors, you will have the opportunity to go to work instead of going to school. It sounds great, and it is! But, you do need to attend school for a short amount of time. Depending on what credits you need and your schedule, you may only have to go for one period.

If you do not have a job or haven’t been considering getting a job, I recommend that you start to think about that. Next year you could have the chance to make money and build your bank account instead of going to classes all day. To do work release, you must be employed and work at least 15 hours a week. That really is not asking a lot. You must set up a meeting with Mr. Daniels before you are allowed to do this program, and then meet with him at least once a week to go over your work experience and understand what goes into being a good employee. 

I work at David Corry CDJR car dealership as a receptionist. I get to work at eight in the morning and leave only four hours later.  I answer the phone, file and scan papers, type data into computers, and any other simple task they need done. I get to go home to have lunch, change my clothes, relax, and then go to school for English and Newspaper. I could not be happier in the situation that I am in. I may not be working for a long time each day, but it adds up to 20 hours a week of working and money-making rather than sitting through unnecessary classes. My work load at school is very light, I almost never have homework, don’t have random projects for elective filler classes, and am happy and motivated with the two classes I do take. 

For those of you that are planning on attending college, the work program has its benefits for that too. I have already been in the National Honors Society, but since I am now technically a part of the CTC program by working, I also am a part of the National Technical Honor Society. The more clubs, organizations, and programs on a college application…the better! Working as much as I do daily also helps prepare me for jobs in the future, getting used to daily work, and the time spent with Mr. Daniels teaches me very helpful information. 

This information is useful for any student to consider in the future, but especially the class of 2025 since this is something less than a year away for you. Even for the class of 2024, it is not too late to find a job and start working during the day. Hearing this from someone with first hand experience in this program, you should plan on pursuing this.