William Murray
What college do you plan to attend, and what will your major be?
A: I’m probably going to attend Wake Tech. [I’m] thinking of majoring in political science.
How do you feel about the responsibilities you have now that you’re graduating?
A: Starting from here and graduation, my main focus is becoming more mature, time-oriented [and] knowing what I am about to do in the future.
What is your biggest fear going into adulthood?
A: Probably not reaching what my main goal was, or not making a lot of money
How do you plan to overcome this fear?
A: Yeah, [overcoming fear] is why I went into political science. It has a bunch of ways of if [a job] does not work out, I can go into another [one] easily.
Is there any advice you would give someone struggling with facing their fears?
A: It depends on what your fear is. I think sometimes you’ve just got to live through your fear. I feel like fear is not always a bad thing. It’s something that keeps you in line. Like my fear right now, I feel I’ve definitely lived through it.
Is there something you wish schools would teach to help you feel more ready for adult responsibilities?
A: I used to think that we did not learn about [enough] because I did not know we had an economics class where we were going to learn about housing and taxes.
What would you tell upcoming seniors to do to prepare for adulthood?
A: Just have fun.
Brooks Vice
What college do you plan to attend, and what will your major be?
A: I’m going to UNC Chapel Hill, and I am on the pre-med track.
How do you feel about the responsibilities you have now that you’re graduating?
A: It’ll be a big step. I think people learn a lot about themselves when they go to college. Like how they want to be when they get older and how they want to interact with people, so that will be good. I’m excited, and I think it will be a lot of fun [because] I have a good group of guys who I am rooming with.
What is your biggest fear going into adulthood?
A: That I will not be ready [or] it will all be too much, and I’m not prepared for when it all hits me.
How do you plan to overcome this fear?
A: I will take it one day at a time, not trying to get too ahead of myself. [I will try to] get good grades and do internships.
Is there any advice you would give someone struggling with facing their fears?
A: Don’t get too overwhelmed with yourself, take it day by day. There are going to be so many great parts of your day that you are not going to appreciate if you’re not living in the moment. I think life can get overwhelming, and when it does, you fail to appreciate the good things in life.
Is there something you wish schools would teach to help you feel more ready for adult responsibilities?
A: [Maybe having] more interactive things, [so] you can be around other people. But I think they set us up pretty well for our future..
What would you tell upcoming seniors to do to prepare for adulthood?
A: Hang out with people. Senior [year] is not too hard. Junior [year] is probably your hardest, so definitely get your essays and your SAT [ready]. Start on [the college application process] early as you can so you can be prepared. Socially, get to know as many people as you can; everybody you see is going to be gone next year. So enjoy the people you’re with.
Anything else you would like to add?
A: Have fun with your life. That’s it.
Landsey Okpo
What college do you plan to attend, and what will your major be?
A: I plan to go to NC State University to study biology.
How do you feel about the responsibilities you have now that you’re graduating?
A: I feel like I’m very ready for the responsibilities that are going to be thrown at me. I’m a major Type A person, and I have already started organizing things on Google Sheets. I am ready to experience adulthood by myself and be away from the parental figures in my life.
What is your biggest fear going into adulthood?
A: My biggest fear would be being overly stressed out and not being able to enjoy what is around me; just being in a constant state of stress.
How do you plan to overcome this fear?
A: I plan to overcome this fear by keeping to a very organized schedule and making sure that whatever workload I put out for myself, I can actually do it. Also, making sure to prioritize not only studying and working, but hanging out with friends and going out, balancing my school life and social life. I feel it is the academics that make everything so stressful, especially as a STEM major.
Is there any advice you would give someone struggling with facing their fears?
A: Try to assess it by yourself first, and if you still cannot figure it out, I would talk to someone whom you trust, like a best friend or your parents, who can help guide you. Everything will work its way into your life.
Is there something you wish schools would teach to help you feel more ready for adult responsibilities?
A: I wish we would dive deeper into college [finances], especially since many schools cost a lot of money, and going to college is very expensive. I see a lot of my friends not being able to go to college, or are going to be in an exceptional amount of debt because of how expensive it is. I wish more people knew about resources, like scholarships. It is very hard to navigate by yourself, especially if you are a first-generation college student or do not have any older siblings.
What would you tell upcoming seniors to do to prepare for adulthood?
A: To prepare for adulthood, know that you are going to be entering a different stage in your life, and you have to learn how to be prepared for yourself In adulthood, you are on your own, and you are going to have to navigate things by yourself; no one is going to be holding your hand for you. Of course, there will be people to help you, but it’s good to have that initiative from yourself.
Anything else you would like to add?
A: For upcoming seniors, talk to your counselors; they will be the ones who help you the most in navigating through college and adult life, especially with college. There are many resources here at Wakefield that help our students.
Sasha Efimova
What college do you plan to attend, and what will your major be?
A: I am going to attend SKEMA University. I will be majoring in International Business.
How do you feel about the responsibilities you have now that you’re graduating?
A: I am aware that they are present, and I am honestly ready. I am not nervous or scared. I feel I am fully prepared to face [these responsibilities].
What is your biggest fear going into adulthood?
A: My biggest fear is moving out of my parents’ house, knowing that I am stepping into a different time in my life where I am not going to be spending as much time with my parents as I used to.
How do you plan to overcome this fear?
A: Texting and calling [my parents] as much as I can. Updating on everything I do at school, while away.
Is there any advice you would give someone struggling with facing their fears?
A: It takes time and patience. The fears are definitely going to be there, but it is important to know that no matter what, there will always be someone or something present in your life supporting you, whether it is family, friends, a significant other, or some sort of religious figure. You have to believe in yourself and stay strong.
Is there something you wish schools would teach to help you feel more ready for adult responsibilities?
A: Honestly, I feel like schools do a fairly good job. I know a lot of people may disagree, but when you’re in high school, you’re still a kid. You should take advantage of that.
What would you tell upcoming seniors to do to prepare for adulthood?
A: Definitely start your college applications in June, the summer before senior year. It is so time-consuming and so nerve-wracking. There is no sugar-coating it, you need to start as early as you can and really take advantage of the fact that you’re in school; get your teachers to help you. Teachers will help you write your essays, and take advantage of your resources that you have.
Anything else you would like to add?
A: Take a deep breath and best of luck.
