What is success? How do students know they are choosing the right path to achieve it? With the numerous options students can pursue after high school, planning for the future can be an intimidating task. Teenagers can often feel overwhelmed when confronting life-altering decisions, but it does not have to be this way. Learning about post-high school pathways can help students navigate the complex world of adulthood.

Chamblee High School has been known for its academic achievement, which means that many Chamblee students, including Anderson Cole (‘26), choose to continue their journey by seeking higher education.

“I really want to go to college; I believe it’s important,” said Cole. “Becoming a doctor is my main goal.”

But college is not the only option. Enlisting in the military, pursuing trades, entering the workforce, taking a gap year, or starting a business are just a few of the opportunities available to students after graduating from high school.

Jamison Bartlett (‘24), a CHS graduate and current handyman, said that pursuing trades allowed him to pursue a life that he would have never considered possible.

“Before May of my graduating year, I had never imagined myself working in the trades,” wrote Bartlett. “It was ingrained in me that I had to go to college. I didn’t have a specific career path in mind; I just trusted that college would help me figure it out.”

Some parents may stress the need for a college degree due to the current sentiment that a college degree is essential to many jobs. Bartlett’s parents were like many in this way, yet Bartlett knew he had opportunities that extended past college admissions after he graduated.

“My mom… just about lost her mind when I introduced the idea of working right after high school,” wrote Bartlett. “She was all about picking the certain and safe route, and she viewed anything other than a 4-year degree as uncertain.”

Going to college might seem necessary to some, but many other post-high school options can lead to success, both financially and personally. Aspen Heimer (‘26) pointed out that those who work in trades provide essential services that many people overlook.

“People say, ‘You need a college degree to live a good life,’ but then call a plumber every time your pipes break,” said Heimer.

Bartlett also emphasized the importance of not diminishing the work or intelligence of tradespeople.

“It takes real intelligence to be able to keep a factory running, bring electricity to an apartment building, or rebuild the transmission of an 18-wheeler,” wrote Bartlett. “[It’s] just a different kind of intelligence than calculus or chemistry.”

However, not every student wants to go straight into the workforce or go to college, sometimes due to the cost of tuition or indecisiveness in pursuing a career. Adonias Vasquez (‘26) is choosing to enlist in the Marines instead.

“I just don’t know what to major in,” said Vasquez. “I don’t know what else to do after high school, so I might as well go into the military.”

Tuition can cost up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and students may be hesitant to apply for loans they must pay off well into the future, especially if they are uncertain about what major they want to pursue. Ms. Justina Barrow, CHS’s Senior Advisor Liaison, highlights the various options for students who are struggling to afford college as they look to their lives post-high school.

“Some stores or companies have tuition reimbursement, and that tuition reimbursement can help pay for [students] to go to school,” said Ms. Barrow.

According to Indeed, tuition reimbursement is a program that pays employees to obtain a degree from a postsecondary institution. The terms of tuition reimbursement vary by employer, and some even cover tuition after the employee has completed the course. 

Students may also worry about the potential salaries of jobs that do not require a college education. Bartlett emphasized that even jobs in trades can lead to financial success, and that a high salary is not the only thing to look for when comparing careers.

“I wish that I had known [in high school] that you can still make good money if you don’t go to college,” wrote Bartlett. “I also wish that I knew how incredibly fulfilling careers in the trades can be compared to desk work.”

At the end of the day, there are many paths to success and fulfillment because success has different meanings for everyone. For some people, it may be financial independence, but for others, personal happiness is worth more than their salary or job title. Regardless, there are many routes that allow students to achieve their vision of success.