Mouth of the River

As the conversation about college has started to gear up as it does for any junior by the end of the year, the discussions surrounding it have only been about getting a degree. “A master’s in engineering is my goal,” I overhear, or, “a doctorate in psychology sounds great.” These might be the more typical answers from an Oyster River High School (ORHS) student, but I can’t help but wonder who might be doing something different. I want to know who plans to be our next electricians, active service members, or mechanics.

When the discussion goes towards the future, there’s a lot of pressure to go into four-year colleges, as it seems like having a degree is the only way to be successful and make money. However, many ORHS students have plans that are much different than universities. Many don’t see themselves pursuing a typical school like education any further, and choose to explore their options prior to graduation through the many programs Oyster River has. With a recent increase of encouragement within our generation to do something besides college, students feel both supported and motivated to go into the trades or the military.

There are many ways to pursue the trades now at ORHS, like Career Technical Programs (CTE). CTEs are classes that Oyster River doesn’t offer, but the surrounding high schools in Dover, Rochester, and Somersworth, do. These include (but aren’t limited to) things like cosmetology, health science, and veterinary programs.

You can also go straight into the military or trade school post-graduation. ORHS often has military representatives in the school at various times during lunch to talk with students who may be interested, and have booths set up during college fairs for the students who might be considering joining one of the branches.

“I’ve never liked school… and the thought of going to another for four years… I didn’t want to do it,” Parker Harrington (‘27) says. Harrington currently plans to go into being a mechanic on cars and trucks after graduation. He highlighted how much his CTE has assisted in guiding him to this decision.

Cooper Garland (‘27) agrees with this, and says, “[CTE] has definitely helped me work with my hands more and get an understanding of the trade.” Garland is currently in Dover’s electrical CTE program, and he’ll receive a certification by the end of his second year. Harrington also highlighted this fact, explaining how he’ll be Automotive Service Excellence certified once he’s completed his automotive CTE. These sorts of licenses can help students get a head start in their field once they’re out of high school.

Sean Peschel, ORHS’s Extended Learning Opportunity and CTE coordinator elaborated on the CTE programs and their benefits, like how many colleges accept them as accredited classes. He also mentioned how CTE’s allow for active participation. “How do you learn to be an electrician? By actually doing it, not just studying the code books,” Peschel said.

Besides trying to gain experience, parental support seems to go a long way with career options besides college. “My parents are open to whatever I decide to do,” Mackenzie MacLeod (‘28) describes. She’s planning on going into the army’s program to become an occupational therapist, which includes an educational degree, but also requires a four-year contract to serve.

“If [my career] makes me happy, then it makes [my parents] happy,” Garland adds. Harrington gave an explanation of his own parent’s support, talking about how they know how strongly he dislikes school, but also how passionate he is about working with cars, and that’s all they care about. This information reflects a survey sent out by Britebound in the article “More parents are done pushing college. 1 in 3 are now pushing trade school instead” by Fortune. Britebound is a company who works with students and their future careers, which showed parents approval rates of their kids going into the trades jumping from 13% in 2019, to 35% in late 2025.

“As a society, generationally, it’s always been ingrained in our heads if you want to be successful, you have go to college,” Peschel described, continuing that because of that mindset, we now have a lack of people in the trades, and has also led to an increase in interest. He also said that the country’s opinion about the trades and military has drastically changed since he was younger.

Peschel mentioned how there are many students who come into high school with a plan to go to a four-year college, and end up changing their minds throughout their career, as they discover a newfound interest that offers much more to them than their prior idea.

Despite this, there’s a consensus amongst the interviewees that many students feel pressured about going to college. “I have friends who feel they have to go to college, and don’t know what they’re actually going for,” Harrington said.

Garland added that a lot of people go to college undecided, and end up doing something they don’t enjoy. Because Garland knew he himself would be one of these people, he’s chosen not to go.

Motives also matter, especially for those going into the military. “I want to do what I can for other people,” McCleod said. Peschel explained how the military also offers a lot more than what most people think it might be, like active duty. Everyone has to go through the basic bootcamp, but there are more options after. He said that just some of the other choices can be things like Human Resources, communications, and medical branches, as McCleod is planning to do.

No matter what type of trade or military someone goes into, they’re necessary for America to function just as anyone who goes to college, Peschel emphasizes. “When COVID shut the world down, who were those essential employees? The people that ran the grocery stores, the automotive people, or the healthcare workers… everybody has a part in our world.”

-Emily Taylor