After high school if college is not for your teen
Local parents get it! They LISTEN to their teens and support them as they think about their next paths.
W – It is so crazy that graduation has come so fast and the panic set in about what do I do next? My son made it through high school and suddenly had no idea what he wanted to do. College hasn’t appealed to him, and every time someone asked about his plans, I could see it stressing him. He didn’t want to just keep flipping burgers at McDonald’s for the rest of his life, which is fair. He’s always been curious, enjoys problem-solving, and has a strong sense of justice. So we started looking into career options that might actually fit who he is. That’s when I came across Cerify-ED and saw they offer a Criminal Justice program. I showed it to him, and for the first time in a while, he actually looked interested. He’s started the course now, and loves it. He’s learning the basics of law enforcement, safety, investigation techniques, and real skills that could actually lead somewhere, and he loves that it’s all on an easy-to-use app for him. If your teen is feeling lost, just know they don’t have to follow the typical college route. Sometimes the right program just opens a door they didn’t even know was there.
B – Both of my kids struggled with the 4-year college-for-every-18-year-old paradigm. My son dropped/failed out of SJSU after 3 semesters of online school during the pandemic. He followed his heart and found a job in auto repair and at 25 he’s now a head tech for a locally owned shop in Campbell.
My daughter cried her eyes out when all of her friends went off to university and she stayed here and enrolled at Cabrillo without a clue what she really wanted to do with her life. She’s 21 now and has her private pilot’s license, has transferred to SJSU to study aviation science, and is pursuing a career as a commercial pilot.
4-year college at 18 truly isn’t for every kid and there are so many routes to success and happiness in life.
I’m sharing this for the mamas out there who are worried that their kids aren’t on that 4-year college track. There’s no “right” path.
Encourage them to take their time and follow their hearts and trust the unfolding. They’re going to be just fine!
N – Our brains aren’t even fully developed until we’re around 26… yet we are pressured by 17/18 to know what we want to do with the rest of our lives. ….
C – Thanks for sharing your story. Cabrillo has a class called Major/Career Exploration. The student takes different personality tests and explores different careers. It will help match them up with jobs suitable for their personality type. There are so many different careers out there. I wish they would offer a class like this in high schools!
T – My daughter was the same. TONS of peer pressure and internal pressure to be ready to leave, know what you’re going to do etc. She is doing the criminal justice path at Cabrillo which is phenomenal and will give her time to adjust to different paths or wants later on. It came to a head her junior year and she was miserable and stressed thinking of the expectations all around and I was unknowingly adding to them. We then lowered her class load, took her out of IBS/Advanced classes and let her breathe. Best decision ever.
Not to forget TRADES are in desperate need of people. We have forced kids to go to college and be miserable. The trades are dying and without them our infrastructure collapses literally and figuratively. I come from a blue collar trades family and the truth is that they make just as much at people in tech but with union protections and benefits.
We need to stop putting all kids into a one size fits all box
I’m so happy he found something he’s interested in!
D -I needed to read this post at this exact time. Thank you. I wonder who else you’ve helped today just by posting your story. Very happy for you and your son! Wish our kids could really take it into their hearts that there are so many ways to be and that these timelines society has made are just very blurry guidelines that may or may not be the path for them. There are many other beautiful ways to walk.
M – I was lost as a teen too. Then a class mate got me into a police cadet program (Scotts
Valley has one). You may have him look into the SJPD PAL cadet program too. Those in it are learning about the career and they get paid assignments to work at the PAL stadium, soccer stadium, event center, and public events. As a teen I worked the Speed Way and the Earthquake soccer games. It lit my fire. As I learned about a career in law enforcement, I knew it had everything I was looking for: stability, growth, excitement and independence. I am now retired and would do it again in a second. Good luck to your sons. Cities have a growing need for young talent especially in tech and drones are the future.
J – He should really look into the electrical trade. If he starts now, he could retire much earlier than most people. IBEW Local 332 electricians are paid extremely well, receive negotiated wage increases every year (typically effective June 1), and have outstanding retirement benefits that include a defined-benefit pension, an employer-funded defined contribution retirement plan, and the option to contribute to a 401(k), along with excellent family health insurance. That retirement package is one of the biggest advantages of being in Local 332.
P– I didn’t know what I wanted until I was 30! There’s enough time to try many things until he finds the right fit.
K – Agree 100%. We also need skilled trades people and I’m encouraging my son to explore electrical courses while he takes his general Ed at Cabrillo because it’s a great skill and also potential side cash jobs. Also welding and carpentry are available there too. My brother took diesel mechanic classes at JR college and now owns his own business servicing the trucks that drive on the train tracks. Good luck to your son pursuing the right path for himself.
L – He could always try volunteer first…at the hospital or at the fire station… things like that, etc.
S – Cabrillo is an amazing resource for all of us!
