Oak Park and River Forest High School - Tabula Yearbook (Oak Park, IL)

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r What To Do After High School Students Make Many Different Plans For The Future hat am I going to do after high school? This was one of the most important and most troublesome questions that plagued high school students, especially seniors. According to a randum Tabula survey, many stu- dents had an idea of the general direction they wished to follow, and a few had even chosen specific careers. These ranged from the ever-popular med- school hopefuls and auto mechanics to such diverse career options as geriatric psychology and sports medicine. Continuing their educations in colleges and voca- tional schools was the most common post gradu- ation route among OPRF students. Many choose this route because it was The thing to do. One senior explained her decision by saying, I ' m going to col- lege because I don ' t want to become a bum. What- ever the reason, college would give students an edge in the increasingly competitive job marl et. Many students planned not to enter college imme- diately after graduation, but rather tal e a year off from school to work or travel. With the rapidly in- creasing cost of higher education, working for a se- mester or a year before entering college helped ease troubled financial situations. But for some, the choice to work or travel first was made simply for the excite- ment, knowledge, and maturity it could provide. Some students chose to skip college altogether and enter the job market immediately upon gradu- ation. Students who chose this route usually didn ' t like school, couldn ' t afford college or found a promis- ing career which didn ' t require a college education. The military was another choice open to students. They chose between ROTC programs at many uni- versities and active duty. 1981 OPRF graduate Ste- phen Corcoran entered the Army because he was interested in helicopter mechanics. He felt that al- though he didn ' t do particularly well in high school, his strong interest in aviation was responsible for his graduating at the top of his class in the Army. Whatever road ' 82 graduates planned to travel, they could be well assured that they had a good educational background at OPRF. As Corcoran said, OPRF really prepares you well for the Army or any other profession. -Johanna Madden Senior Theresa Guarino prepares an order while another em- ployee waits on a customer. Restaurants such as Murphy ' s are popular places to work during the summer after graduation. Working in the businesslike setting of a bank gives students such as senior Barbara Kolzow a good view of future careers. Plans After Graduation 17

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The benefits of enlisting in the Army are discussed by Sergeant Walker and senior Danielle Waco. Danielle chooses to explore many of the options open to her before making a final decision about her future. ■y A 1 } hKV ' h H S K p p IJT— ff Most Choose College In October Tabula polled approximately 10% of OPRF students to determine their ambitions and post-graduation plans. Of the 266 surveys complet- ed, 22.2% were from freshmen, 21.8% from sopho- mores, 28.6% from juniors, and 27.4% from sen- iors. According to the statistics, 89.8% of freshmen, 89.7% of sophomores, 92.1% of juniors, and 93.2% of seniors chose to attend college. Frequently chosen schools were the University of Illinois (7.4% of students), Triton (3.8%), and North- western (2.6%). Forty-one percent were undecided. Business was chosen as a major by 9%. Other popular majors were engineering (4. 1 % ) and pre- med (5.5%). Twenty-four percent were undecided. Sixty-seven percent of students planned to work during the summer after graduation, and 58.4% hoped to continue working during college. Four percent of students wanted to wait a semes- ter or year before starting college. The military was chosen by 1.3% of juniors and seniors. Some stu- dents (5.5%) planned to skip college altogether. The roads OPRFers chose led in all kinds of direc- tions to accomplish all kinds of goals. -Johanna Madden Looking through a college guide, Rami! Fajardo searches fo the college that will be best for him, both socially and academical 16 Plans After Graduation

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Free At Last Three Months To Yourself iking through Ger many, making up a class that was failed last semester, hanging out at the beach, or working at a summer job. OPRF students engaged in these activities and many more during the summer of 1981. Traveling, especially through Europe, was just as popular in ' 81 as ever. Senior Martha Heine com- mented on her bike trip through the German country- side. The youth hostels were the best part of my whole trip. We met kids our ages from all over the world. Other students attended summer school to pick up extra credits or to take classes not offered during the school year. Many students attended various workshops and athletic camps during the summer to develop and perfect skills used in their respective activities. Senior Carol Mahoney and the other Pom Pom Squad offi- cers attended a camp at Rockford College. They learned several new routines, most of which were used during the football games in the fall. While at Rockford, the Pom Pon officers used their skill and knowledge to win more camp competitions than any other squad in attendance. Senior Dave Teune worked as a camp councelor and found it rewarding in several ways. I had the opportunity to develop my interpersonal and leadership skills while working in a fantastic environment! Summer jobs were a great way of gaining valuable experience for college and future careers. They also proved to be good money-making activities. One senior who worked at a resort in Wisconsin felt that her experience was a good preparation for college. Working full time teaches anyone responsibility, but working away from home taught me responsibility for both my job and myself, she said. A great percentage of the OPRF student popula- tion spent their summer in perhaps the most popular and enjoyable way: loafing. What better way to spend three endless months but sleep until noon, wa tch a little of All My Children, maybe go to the beach, and then party until dawn? When this began to get a bit monotonous, a select few chose to expand cultural horizons by visiting the Art Institute or reading Ttie Scarlet Letter. (Weren ' t you supposed to read that last year for American Lit?) However OPRF students spent the summer of ' 81, one thing ' s for sure: almost all experienced mixed feelings at the prospect of returning to school in the fall. Giving up the laziness of summer was hard at first, but returning to OPRF and friends there made it a little easier to bear. -Johanna Madden Downtown Chicago offers many ways to enjoy a summer day, such as watching a bicycle race which Olympic skater Eric Heiden entered- 18 Summer