In my first year of high school in 2021, OPS Board of Education implemented the Freshman Academy. I didn’t really have an opinion about this change, and neither did any other freshmen that I knew. My freshman seminar class was easy for me to pass, so I never complained. 

When I entered my sophomore year at Westview, I was excited to be in the Education Pathway. I was thrilled to learn more about a career I had previously wanted to pursue. After my first semester, I was almost certain that education was not the field I wanted to go into. 

“Learning what you don’t want to do can be very powerful,” said Curriculum Specialist and College and Career Academies and Pathways (CCAP) Director Dr. Arens. 

Though I agree that it is helpful to eliminate your options, I regret wasting my time and effort on something that I am no longer interested in pursuing. In addition to this, the options for pathways here at Westview don’t necessarily pique my interest. Even if there are amazing programs available to students, they aren’t suitable for everyone.  

The idea of OPS pathways is promising, but I feel that it just makes schooling harder for students. On top of my usual coursework, I must worry about meeting my pathway requirements, while trying to shape my future at the same time. 

If I had the choice, I would take no pathway classes at all. I would rather explore every option simultaneously than stick to one career path for three years. Though I am grateful for the opportunities and programs that pathways offer, sometimes they can hurt more than they can help. Students would benefit from having a choice to join a pathway or not.