The clock is ticking time to grow up. Karns High School announced the graduation date for the class of 2024. These students will graduate on May 24th at 5:30 p.m. Seniors have 238 days until they are high school graduates; before that, many will already be adults. 

These up-and-coming adults have to decide if they want to pursue a higher education, join the military, or go straight into the workforce. This is often called the three E. 

The first E is enroll which means to pursue a higher education by attending a college, university, trade school, etc. Students have the option to pursue this choice early by taking dual enrollment classes during their last two years of high school. 

“I hope to be attending South College next fall to work towards a nursing degree…knowing my first two years will be covered by Tennessee promise has really lifted some weight off my shoulders…,” said senior Haley Russel.

Tennessee Promise is a scholarship offered to Tennessee graduates that allows them two free years of tuition and no mandatory fees at a community or technical college. 

The second E is enlist which means to go into the military. The Military has five branches; the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and the Air Force.

“I’m going into the Air Force, my family has been enlisting for generations and I want to make them proud,” said Chip Rue

The third E is employment which is when you go straight into the workforce. 

“I’m skipping trade school and going straight into an apprenticeship once I graduate…I’ll need one anyways I might as well do it now instead of later…,” said senior Emilio Caver.

It’s up to the seniors to pick which E they want to author their story.