Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the year 2020 is a year no one will ever forget. Coronavirus took over the world, closed down stores, restaurants, airports and even schools.

The Class of 2022 lost touch with campus half of their sophomore year, and for some, but not all it also included junior year.

Teachers all over the world were not prepared for this global pandemic. Heck, no one was. But teachers especially. It left teachers with the question circling in their minds: “How will students learn the curriculum through a computer from home?”

Fast forward to September of 2021, where students were allowed back into schools. A teacher’s happiest moment, yet terrifying to see where students’ levels would be after a year-and-a-half online.

Out of 312 Lake Steven High School seniors who responded to an email survey, over 60% of the seniors voted that they were not ready to graduate high school and felt they had not learned everything they needed to know throughout their schooling career.

“I don’t think high school places enough emphasis on networking and how important it is for finding jobs, internships and such. ORCA was the place to show me that,” senior Madeline Barid said.

Advanced Video Production, Aerospace Engineering, Business and Marketing, Career Choices, Careers In Education, Child Development, Civil Engineering & Architecture, Contemporary Art & Design, Computer Science, AP Computer Science, Culinary, Digital Design, Educational Leadership, Engineering Design & Development, Entrepreneurship, Food & Fitness, Forensics, Health, Introduction to Engineering Design, Living on Your Own, Marketing Management, Manufacturing, Personal Finance, Principles of Engineering, Specialty Marketing, Sports Medicine, Video Production, and Yearbook are all classes provided here at Lake Stevens High school.

The question is, should some of these classes be required?

“I wish I knew more about taxes and personal finance and loans for post secondary school too,” senior Ella Burt said.

Living on your own, personal finance and career choices are the three classes that the majority of the senior class said they wished they had taken sometime during their high school career.

“It just makes sense to me. If we’re going to school for such a big chunk of our lives, why aren’t we learning how to do the basic fundamentals of life?” Burt said.

So why aren’t we required to do them?

Dan Tedor, the CTE administrator here at Lake Stevens, has been wondering that same question for years on end. Why shouldn’t students learn the basics of the real world? Who makes these decisions about what is required and what isn’t?

“A graduation requirement can either be set by the state (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction) or by the school district, after school board approval,” Tedor said.

Senior Bailey McCarthy chose to take Personal Finance because other people who had taken the class suggested that she take it.

“Real world like rent, budgeting, and credit cards. It should be required for all seniors!” McCarthy said.

Seniors really did miss out on a lot of classes and opportunities that could help them in the future, with the question being, are students really ready? I guess we will find out!