It is possible to graduate a semester or a year early at Norwalk High School. Several seniors are graduating from Norwalk at the end of the fall semester.

“I feel like graduating early would give me a better advantage,” said Macayla Barragan, one of the early graduates.

Barragan said she  plans to move to Texas after graduation, and graduating early will allow her to move that much sooner. She said assignments are not a problem to keep up with as long as she meets the deadlines.

Elin Lien, another early graduate, said she is looking to graduate early in order to get started on her cosmetology career earlier. Lien said her interest in leaving a semester early was sparked by a mutual friend, who was looking into a similar career path. She said the workload was not a hassle when combining two semesters, because NHS requires less classes from seniors.

“I do not have to worry about endurance,” she said when asked about the positives of proceeding to graduate early.

Connor Arnold is an NHS senior who said he looks to graduate early so he can start his work life sooner. With combining two semesters comes doubling up on classes. Although Arnold is taking two English classes, he said he finds the workload to be manageable.

Arnold said he finds early graduation to align with his goals in the upcoming months and year, but it tends to be difficult when you have to miss out on your last semester of high school.

“It is a little scary because I do not know if I am going to miss out on my senior year,” he said.

More than one student said there was a downside to graduating early – that you do end up missing out on some senior year traditions NHS holds.

“Walking down the aisle will feel less authentic,” Lien said.

While you may be able to go to college earlier, you still have to get out of school sports and for some students that means a lot to them, said Sarah Adams, Norwalk school counselor. 

“I definitely do not think it is for everybody,” Adams said.