Morgan Wortman

For Frannie O’Shea, a 2021 graduate of Grosse Pointe South High School, the road to becoming a nurse began long before college.
“I loved high school a lot and it was a very fun time in my life,” said O’Shea, who is set to graduate from Saint Louis University this spring with a degree in nursing.
O’Shea knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue nursing and said she was intentional about focusing on science courses in high school. She credits her teachers at South for helping her build a strong academic foundation.
“I put a lot of effort in my science classes and I think the science teachers there were great at teaching things in depth in a timely manner,” she said. “I was definitely stressed out, but I always felt like the teachers were very supportive and always there if anyone needed extra help.”
Though O’Shea feels well-prepared for college, she believes there’s room for growth in South’s curriculum.
“I wish at South we had more classes for specific things, like for people who are interested, maybe in a specific major for college, like business or even engineering,” she said. “There could be more specific and in-depth classes.”
One resource she wishes she had taken advantage of earlier was her guidance counselor.
“I never really used that resource until I was really thinking about college,” O’Shea said. “I definitely could’ve used them more, but they definitely help you understand like what colleges will be reachable for you, and they truly can help you find a good fit.”
She emphasized that South’s academic rigor, particularly in honors and Advanced Placement courses, helped her prepare for the college workload, especially compared to her classmates in college, whose schools did not do as well in that department.
“As for rigor of classes, I do feel that South does a really good job at preparing kids for the rigor of college, depending on what classes you take,” she said. “If you are taking AP classes and even honors, you do get a sense, and that does make college a little less overwhelming.”
O’Shea’s advice for current students is simple: explore and engage.
“My ultimate advice would be to use your counselors and take classes even if you have the slightest interest in them,” she said. “It will be worth it, even if you end up not liking it, which can make choosing your major easier.”