As the graduation season for the class of 2025 approaches, feelings of uncertainty rise for high school seniors moving into the next chapter of their lives. With their college years on the horizon, many students ask themselves if their four years in high school have prepared them for college.
Grosse Pointe South has a well-known tradition of shaping high school students into successful college scholars through rigorous courses and high expectations. Although South can not prepare every student for the obstacles that the “real world” may bring, it has proven to produce accomplished students through its various programs. Graduating from the South class of 2021, University of Wisconsin senior Maria Lianos felt that South gave her perfect opportunities to succeed during her college years, which she attributes to particular programs.
“I believe that my English classes were the most crucial piece of preparation when it came to college,” Lianos said. “This skill set was not just grown from formal essay practice, but especially in classes like creative writing and debate that force you to change the tone, style and personal flair of your writing.”
In addition to classroom instruction, Emily Przybylski, Grosse Pointe South class of 2024 graduate and Michigan State University freshman, found that the AP courses combined with sports offered at South were invaluable to her transition from high school academics to college-level studies.
“My AP Environmental Science class helped a lot because that is what I am majoring in,” Przybylski said. “Extracurriculars like cross country and track helped me learn valuable time management skills throughout my four years of high school that aided me in college.”
As challenging as an AP like Environmental Science may be, such classes are key components in the preparation process for college. Morgan Deenik, a University of Michigan freshman and a South graduate of 2024, relied on her AP class experiences to help her manage the ups and downs of freshman year.
“Take those harder classes, because it’s going to be a jump either way to get to college, but it’s definitely a smaller gap if you’re going from AP classes to college classes from regular classes,” Deenik said.
Although the classes at South play an important role in preparing graduates for college, teachers are the true cornerstone that makes the transition easier through their unwavering support and constant encouragement.
“I always felt that the staff at South was a great resource,” Lianos said. “Not only did I find a lot of teachers who served as mentors and were big cheerleaders for my progress, but I also knew staff members who could challenge me and pull out newfound skills. I always have good things to say when it comes to my high school teachers and the foundation they built for my undergraduate.”
