TOLEDO, Ohio — Southview High School graduate Sammy Huston received his diploma just a few months ago, crossing the stage and entering a new chapter of his life.
Facing many choices, he has an idea of what he wants to do later in life, but doesn't know yet how to get there.
"Need to find myself in the world, that big world, and I really want to find my career path and that would be in the medical field," Huston said.
That is where Junior Achievement of Northwestern Ohio comes in, a non-profit career guidance organization, offering a "5th-Year" program to introduce selected high school graduates to different career experiences before they decide on the next step of their lives.
All while living on Lourdes University's campus.
"They still get the college experience, they still get college life, however instead of going to class, they are spending time deliberately discovering what their career could be, what they want to do with their future," said Erica Fischbach, the career discovery director for Junior Achievement.
Thirty participants were picked out of a pool of 70 candidates, who applied free of charge, with the program kicking off Monday.
Over the next 10 months, each week for the grads will be spent visiting different companies, learning life skills such as managing money, and working paid internships.
"It's $15 an hour and they have work a minimum of 24 hours a week," Fischbach said.
Which is important, because there is a bill to pay.
"They have to pay a percentage for their living and they have to pay a percentage of their food program that Lourdes is providing for them," Fischbach said. "So that's how they are paying for their portion of the program."
Program leaders shared that over a dozen local companies have internships available for graduates, including the Toledo Museum of Art, where students spent time at Thursday afternoon.
For museum officials, they say partnering with this program offers students another option.
"People think that higher education is the only way to go when you come out of high school, and that's not the case," said Jennifer McCary, the chief culture and brand experience officer for the Toledo Museum of Art. "You don't have to have your mind made up. Of course we want people to go on and further their education, but education happens in a lot of different ways, and what this program is offering is another way for that professional development, and the pursuit of what it is that they want to do next in life. "
Although it's been four days, Huston says the decision to apply was a good one.
"This is the best opportunity I've ever had in my life," Huston said. "And I never thought I would have it, so I took it."
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