Life after High School Didn’t Go as Planned and I Couldn’t be Happier

Are you terrified of what’s to come in the future? As we bust our asses in high school to produce solid grades and ACT/SAT scores, we think often about our future. Yikes. What if we don’t get into our dream schools? What’s plan B? So much is on our 17 to 18-year-old minds.

We want to make our friends and families proud of us. It can be one of the most stressful things on a kid. I didn’t exactly create a backup plan. I just adapted to every new situation I was put in.

You can make this whole life thing work better so long as you are able to continue adjusting your plans often. Here’s how my life didn’t go as planned, but I’m happier than ever.

Getting ACCEPTED into my Dream School and Dream Program!

In the year of 2016, I had gotten into my dream school at Washington State University where I’d be attending school to study engineering. My primary purpose was to be a member of the Army ROTC program and commission as an officer after my four years, debt-free!

I visited my future school after I was already accepted and it wasn’t what I hoped for. It was a school away from a major city and this isn’t what I desired. Cold feet came over me and I backed out of the school just before orientation.

This was a tough decision, but my heart wasn’t in it. When your heart isn’t in it, all you need to do is adjust.

Going to The Army Recruiter’s Office to Enlist.

My mom and I went to the Army recruiter’s office where I enlisted into the U.S. Army as an Engineer. I was not going to college at the time so I traveled across the country and abroad before attending Basic Training.

I never had a firm grasp on my identity from high school, so attending military boot camp gave me a clean slate where I could become the person I wanted to be. This included me being a leader by example, a caring friend, and a disciplined soldier.

When I came back home as an Army Engineer, I became one of the most confident people in my household. Everything seemed to be going to a plan that I had barely thought out.

That’s the thing about planning, sometimes it doesn’t go to plan! But it’s how you respond versus how you react to it that makes all the difference.

Who knows, if I didn’t want to attend my university, I easily could have gotten into drug dealing, gotten arrested, and be locked up for years. That’s a little extreme, but you see what I mean. You can’t react poorly to situations that don’t go your way, you must respond properly.

Attending Community College instead of University.

By the time I returned home in July of 2017 from both combat and engineer training, I decided to enroll in my local community college. I had no high expectations for how community college would go.

Turns out that my college was one of the best in the area and had a very diverse group of people from high schools I never interacted with. I found it extremely comforting to get a fresh start yet again with kids who have always lived within 30 minutes from me.

If high schoolers had a better outlet to meet kids from other high schools I feel like we could all live a happier, and healthier life.

The people I met through clubs and classes at community college were beyond amazing people. I have friends for life. Friends who are going different directions for school and careers outside of Chicago.

The exciting thing is that so many of my peers gave me the push I needed to start a blog, YouTube channel, and take on a president position.

The two years I spent at community college taught me so much about myself, especially how good of a planner I am. I would plan events in the clubs I was a part of. I was also known for being part of some really well-planned parties.

Cross country was a sport I never tried in high school, but absolutely did try in college and I’ve now completed 4 half-marathons and plan on running a marathon here soon.

The Pop-Up Army Deployment from 2019–2020.

This event was not planned for by me. It was decided by the U.S. Army that my unit be sent overseas to help take care of missions our country asked of us.

Since I had basically finished up my two years at community college, I was unsure whether to continue or instead to pursue my dreams as an entrepreneur.

The deployment popped up and I had no choice besides going overseas. Throughout this journey, I have been able to save a lot of money that will help me set myself up for my thirties once I get there.

The time away from home has taught me so much about myself and has made me a better, more grateful person.

I hope that Corona passes through soon enough so I can actually get a flight home but for now, I’m grateful for the relationships I’ve formed and the blog I have groomed.

Writing for Medium was going to be a side gig to my YouTube channel. While being overseas, my YouTube career has taken the backseat and Medium has been in the front seat.

It’s good to keep an open mind about where your content goes.

I see so much more potential in writing than video making since it’s sustainable and I can produce content a little more efficiently.

Going home is going to be bittersweet, I know this. But I am beyond happy that I’m getting the opportunity to deploy with my comrades and experience things that very few people in the world get to.

Working for a Startup Company When I go Home!

To cap off life after high school, I plan on working for a startup company when I get home. It will be overseen by one of my friends from high school whom I only considered an acquaintance at the time.

Over time, you really do see who your true friends are after high school, and I’m glad to have stayed in touch with the ones I did. My buddy and I plan on using my marketing skills and his business degree skills to form a solid company overall (can’t tell you yet!).

I know now that school isn’t for me and I am okay with that. The future is extremely bright with or without school.

Especially with Corona and everything going on right now, I’m not sure if I want to attend Zoom University.

As long as everyone has self-awareness, makes decisions quickly, and always moves in a certain direction, growth is inevitable.

I would not be where I am today without taking so many risks. I am grateful for my supportive parents, enlightening friends, and Gary Vaynerchuk.

Now that I am 22 years old and it has been exactly four years since I graduated high school, I am happier than ever about how I turned out. And I am only looking forward to what is yet to come.

Get excited about your future, or at least try and find a way. You can do it.