Planning Ahead: 7th Grade Measures of a Man at Washington K-8

Ask any one of our 4th or 5th grade students what they want to be when they grow up and you’ll get the same two or three responses. Most dream of becoming a professional athlete or joining the military. Occasionally, but not often enough, you’ll hear a small handful say they want to become a doctor or a lawyer. So, by the time our students reach their middle school years, how much do their answers change? Or, do they change at all?

A few weeks ago, during a session focused on career readiness, we asked our students to break off into two small groups. For ten minutes, they discussed with their small group of peers not only what they wanted to be when they grew up, but how they planned to get there. After time was up, the class re-grouped and presented their future plans to the entire class. Below are just a handful of the responses we received.

 Edward has plans of owning his own clothing line called Ed. Designs. Upon graduating high school, he plans to study fashion and take the inspiration he finds in everyday life to create his own line of clothing.

One of Usher’s favorite subjects is math, so when he grows up he plans to become a math tutor and start his own non-profit organization. By becoming a math tutor Usher believes he will be doing what he loves, while giving back to his community. He plans to attend either Birmingham Southern or the University of Alabama.

Keyon wants to become a barber and own his own barber shop when he grows up. After graduating high school Keyon wants to apprentice in a barber shop and also learn business.

If you want to stay in touch with our programs and students, sign-up for our monthly newsletter. Simply fill out the short form located on the top right-hand side of our Home page.