What’s next? It can be a daunting question for thousands of high schoolers as they approach graduation.
“I see lots of people deciding they don't know what to do, but they choose four-year (colleges) because that's the plan that they think they need to do,” shrugged Jenni Cruz.
Cruz is a Mission Hills High School senior who is also a student ambassador for Project Next. Project Next is a privately-funded program looking to help high schoolers take the next step towards success even if that means not going to college.
“We are an added tool,” explained Lionel Saulsberry, a Career Coach at Project Next.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Saulsberry said Project Next is an additional asset for students who already have school counselors. He and other Career Coaches work out of Future Centers located inside Mission Hills, San Marcos, and Twin Oaks High Schools. The coaching is free and available to any student.
“I look at it like they match up with what they want in their heart or what they want in their mind,” said Saulsberry. “My primary mission is to help students find their next.”
That next step may be college, community college, the military, an internship, or directly into the workforce. Either way, Programs Director Sara Montooth said it’s a path that will help the student find the most success for themselves.
Local
“Everything related to life after high school, to adulting,” she smiled. “I can't tell you the feeling that I have when I hear that we have impacted a student enough to where they know themselves and can make an informed choice for their future.”
Montooth said Project Next presents students with options. Then they help with resumes, interview coaching, clothing, and even puts them in contact with mentors and professionals.
“We're helping them just change the trajectory of maybe their family tree,” said Montooth.
“This is heart work. We're giving back,” added Saulsberry.
Project Next is only available to students at the three high schools. However, Montooth said it’s available to any student during the summer. She added they’d like to create Future Centers in every high school in the area to help students figure out what’s next.
