The Senior Project, a requirement to graduate high school, is on the minds of seniors at Etowah. It will help them experience what life in the real world is and how to succeed after high school, but how do seniors really feel about it?

“My Senior Project is learning how to scuba dive. I like my Senior Project and the idea of it because it forces people to figure out what they want to do for the rest of their life before it starts,” Shelby Kassoff, senior, said.

With so many career choices, the Senior Project gives students the opportunity to experience a career that interests them beforehand in case they do not actually like it.

Seniors have to present their projects outside of school time in front of a board of judges.

“If you are doing the accelerated version of the Senior Project, you have the option to present early in December or with everyone else in April,” Danielle Goold, senior, said.

The Senior Project also lets students make a difference in the community by doing something they love.

“I liked it because it got me into a hobby I love, which is sewing. I loved that I could help others out by making ten quilts for a homeless shelter,” Alyssa McCurley, Etowah alumni, said.

But some seniors view the Senior Project as a waste of time.

“No [I do not like it] because it’s a lot of work that seems useless,” Landon Stradley, senior, said.

On the other hand, people running the Senior Project think differently.

“The senior project is important because it gives students the experience of planning for and creating a major project and then presenting that project to adults in the community. I think it’s probably the first time that many students have had to complete something of this magnitude, so it’s a valuable experience as they head into college and adulthood where these types of projects will be more prevalent,” Shaina Anderson, teacher, said.

There are many different opinions on the Senior Project, but because of the experience it gives students, do not expect it to disappear.