The pressure slowly creeps up on seniors as they realize their time here at Lakeland High School is starting to come to a close. Many decisions happen as the 2025 seniors start to figure out where they will go and what they will do with the next chapters of their lives.
One of the first big decisions seniors may have to make is where to go to college. Committing to a college can be a hard decision to make and can cause stress for students. These decisions represent years of hard work, late-night studies, and the highs and lows of their high school career.
Little things like how far to go, how to pay for college, and what life there will look like. These few things can make the decision easy for some but even harder for others.
While there is still plenty of time for seniors to pick where they want to go, the deadlines are approaching. Most have ideas or even dreams but have not fully committed to one place.
Others, on the other hand, already have plans in motion.
Lakeland Senior Ziya Munyer officially committed to Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Munyer will graduate on December 20th and leave next month to start at Weber for the spring 2025 semester. She will start practicing with their volleyball team and practice family studies as her major.
“The culture on the volleyball team is unmatched and I love the coaching staff. I also feel like it is somewhere I can grow and be successful.” Munyer said.
While Munyer had many options she felt confident in her choice and can not wait to start the next chapter of her life.
“I knew this school and team was right for me when I began to form relationships with the people on the team as well as the coaches. The head coach Jeremiah Larsen promised my parents that he would look out for me and always have my back, which made me feel so confident in going to a program like this,” Munyer said.
Munyer will miss going to school with her dad and her friends but she is looking forward to playing volleyball and going to school with her brother and sister-in-law.
For anyone who is struggling to pick a college or feels overwhelmed with choices, it is not a bad thing to follow what you want.
“Go with your gut. It sounds very cliche but it’s true. If you have doubts or are deciding between schools ask yourself the important questions and look for schools that can fulfill those,” Munyer said.
While deciding where to go can be a difficult decision sometimes it is the sports that draw you toward college.
Lakeland Senior Carter Vanek will be attending Carroll College in the fall 2025 semester. Vanek was drawn to the football program and the education after a campus visit earlier this year.
“The choice was hard but then I realized Carroll was the place for me,” Vanek said. “I knew once I went on my visit and talked to a bunch of Alumni, students, and athletes that go there and they talked about how close and awesome it is.”
Vanek will be studying Pre-Physical Therapy and is excited for this part of his life to be over. He is ready to move on to bigger and better things.
Vanek will miss the friends that he has to leave behind but is looking forward to meeting new people and making close connections.
“My friends and family think I made a great decision about what I want to study and to play sports there. I say they didn’t influence my decision but some part of me would say they did partially,” Vanek said.
Vanek feels that high school has prepared him for college life and strongly feels that picking the school that is best for you and not what others tell you to do makes a great moto for deciding.
While a lot of seniors are influenced by sports programs at colleges and where they can play, others go mainly for the education they provide and the opportunities to get ahead.
Senior Noah Best will be attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Flordia for the fall 2025 semester. He will be majoring in aerospace engineering and says that along with this major, the beach influenced his decision.
“I was doing some research late one night on universities and colleges that offered my major, and I happened to just come across it. I looked into it more and they had a campus in Florida, which sold me right then and there. It seemed lively and perfect for what I wanted,” Best said.
Best is nervous about the move and life down in Flordia but is ready to be done with high school and this year.
“I think I’ll miss all of the friends I made, as well as my coaches for the sports I did. It’ll be sad for sure, but that won’t stop me from meeting new people and making more memories in my life,” Best said.
Best feels that his counselor helped guide him a little bit to research the places and find what best fits him. He also feels that the classes he has taken in high school have helped shape what his future college would be.
Best has a high support system along with his choice and feels that this was the best option for him.
“My parents didn’t even know what the school was, but they ultimately liked my decision. They didn’t argue about where I wanted to go because they’ve always known I wanted to go to college out of state. I’d say most of my friends liked my decision too. Overall, this was my decision, so it didn’t feel like they influenced my choice,” Best said.
College can be a scary commitment and can seem like an overwhelming burden, but once that decision is made it can open up many new opportunities.
Going to school with Munyer, Vanek, and Best throughout all of these years and seeing how they are on the court, field, and in classrooms, I know they will go on to do better things and shine throughout their college experiences.
While it seems like a lot of seniors have it “all figured out” not knowing what to do is still ok. People change their majors all of the time and a lot take gap years to figure out what they want to do. Not knowing what to do or where to go is not a crime and it is more common than most think.
In the fall 2025 semester, I will be going to study Diagnostic Medical Sonography (Ultrasound Technician). While I am not one hundred percent sure where I am going yet, I have many options to choose from. I know that whichever I choose will lead me in the right direction in the end and it is my choice, not others.
It may all seem a little frightening to have to make all these decisions, but I am ready to start the next chapters of my life and move on to what I want to do. I am thankful for all of the opportunities I have been given throughout my high school experience, and I am thankful for all of the teachers who have helped lead me in the right direction and given me advice when needed.
I am confident that I will do well in college no matter where I chose to go and I know that I have friends and family who will support me no matter my choice.
