Joseph High School seniors prepare for the Real World

TY WARNOCK IS INTERVIEWED by Jolene Cox of the the Bank of Eastern Oregon as part of Joseph High School's senior project class. KATY NESBITT / The Observer

With the world as their oyster, Joseph High School seniors prepare for their future with the guidance of their senior project advisers and mentors from the community. The goal? Readiness for the adult world. 

Each spring each Joseph High junior decides on a Senior Project topic and present their idea during the school’s speech series, said Liza Butts, senior project adviser.

Once a student chooses his or her career choice, the next steps are to choose a mentor and a community outreach benefit linked to their topic.

Rebecca Cummins would like to be a veterinarian technician and works with Darcy Witherite at the Double Arrow clinic in Enterprise. Her community outreach project was to conduct a basic livestock wound care clinic with the seventh grade class.

Suzy Ellis wants to pursue a career in cosmetology and her mentor is Shelly Steen of Salon Joseph. To give back to the community, Ellis chose to collect hair for a program called “Beautiful Lengths” that makes wigs for cancer patients. She had a goal to collect a dozen eight-inch ponytails, but so far has collected 27 with the help of Yvonne Stine.

Ali Garrett wants to be a photographer. She has been taking pictures of her senior classmates and is making books to give to each of them at graduation. Joe Whittle, a local photographer, is her mentor.

Ty Warnock is interested in being a mechanic and is finding and fixing bikes to give to kids who don’t have them.

Over the course of the year the seniors build resumes, practice filling out job applications and last week met with area professionals for “mock interviews." They are judged on appearance, communication skills, content of their answers, personality, etiquette, body language, potential for employment and their resume.

Each kid practices in class in front of his or her peers, teachers and a video camera before the mock interviews.

This is the sixth year Joseph High has conducted the senior projects in hopes to better prepare students for life after high school, said adviser Kendall Hayes.