High school seniors have a lot of decisions to make before they graduate. Will they find their way to a college campus, take up a trade, begin their working career or train to become a part of the U.S. military? How will they choose to shape their future with this next step? How big of a role does financial aid play in a student’s decision? What do they want to do in life and where do they want to do it?

The seniors at Norwalk Public Schools’ four high schools considered all those questions and more in making their post-secondary decision and shared what they learned along the way.

About two dozen graduating seniors from Norwalk High School gathered to share their experience with answering the question - What’s next?

Money, money, money

Walking out of school with little to no debt is the ultimate goal for most students entering college, and it was no different for students at Norwalk High when they considered their options. Students first needed to consider how much financial aid a school could provide and the types of scholarships available to them.

“The most difficult part for me was weighing the pros and cons between what college suits me and the amount of money I got per college. And like, trying to decide whether or not I want to base my future off of how much debt I'm gonna be in or the college experience that I'm trying to have,” said Autumn Anderson, who’s headed to University of Vermont to study psychology.

Danielle Garcia, who’s attending the University of Delaware to major in pre-veterinary medicine, had to wait to make her decision until she had her financial aid package secured. A nearly full-ride scholarship to the University of Connecticut made Matt Francour's decision a little easier.

Finding a community

Arriving at school with a built in community helped Ben Bradley, Rachel Miller and Dylan Thomas make their respective choices. Bradley will be diving for the Men’s Swim & Dive team at George Washington University, Miller is joining the women’s field hockey team at Southern Connecticut State University, and Thomas is playing soccer at Roger Williams University and studying communications. 

Thomas’ overnight visit at the school and meeting the team solidified his choice.

“As soon as I got there, I knew I would fit in perfectly. I started hanging around the soccer team, and those guys really welcomed me,” Thomas said. “As soon as I came back home, I was like, to my parents, ‘I know where I want to be this fall.’”

Finding a good community on campus also influenced Colin Duff’s decision. He wanted a place where he’d be happy, feel supported and feel included.

“I feel like Northeastern (University) definitely had those programs for me where I'd feel I'd have a support system and definitely feel included with the rest of the community,” Duff said.

Location, location, location

Andrea Mejia got accepted to Northeastern University, but instead of heading up I-95 to Boston this fall, she’ll be taking a transcontinental flight to London, England. The first-generation college student is enrolled in the one-year economics program and enjoying a study-abroad experience early in her college career before her studies become more intensive.

“I’ll focus more on economics in London before coming back to study environmental sustainability,” Mejia said.

Claudia Stuart wanted to attend a school where she’d have plenty of internship opportunities nearby. She is headed to the University of Maryland to study sports journalism and take advantage of being in close proximity to two major sports towns as well as covering Division I athletics at her school.

Lindsay Caruso wasn’t even considering American University before making a quick stop at the school while visiting other nearby institutions. Her advice: don’t write off any school before visiting.

“There were multiple times where I was looking at colleges, and then I was just like, “Okay, well, while I'm in the area, I'll go to another college that's nearby,” and that's actually what happened with American. I didn't intend to like it, and I ended up loving it, and it was my first choice through the whole process,” said Caruso, who plans to major in politics.

Resources close to home

Students don’t need to look far when taking the first step toward their future. They can usually find answers in their own schools from counselors, teachers and their peers.

Casey Donnelly plans to pursue her interest in communications at Roger Williams University, which she discovered through her coursework in the Digital Media Communications Academy.

“It really helped me decide that I wanted to continue in communications because of all the classes I took and how much I ended up liking it and my interest in that,” Donnelly said.

Orion Londono was introduced to the Matthew Gaffney Foundation out of Stamford, which helped him navigate the college process including his essays, improving his SAT scores, and all around preparation of his applications. Londono will be attending Williams College, majoring in Economics and Computer Science as well as playing Ultimate Frisbee.

Kyle Mancini needed to find help a little outside the school walls. As part of his application for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, he needed a congressional nomination from our Congressman Jim Himes.

Robert Boucher’s final advice to underclassmen - take advantage of the resources in your school.

“Everyone’s here to help you and guide you through the college process. So, you’re not really alone,” said Boucher, who’s attending the University of Connecticut in the fall to study finance.