As a student in Beaufort County, it was difficult to think much further ahead than a day or two with the loads of standardized material assigned to do. At that time, it was much more difficult, as students, to be able to participate in programs or activities that would facilitate exposure to things outside the realm of employment in Beaufort County, which, generally speaking, limited the choices. In high school, there were two groups of students — those who would go to college and those who would not.

Those who would go on to college after high school, either made good grades in school and had a shot to go to college or already knew what it is they wanted to do. Those who didn’t go to college either went to the community college and learned a trade or something or went into the workforce.

Nowadays, things are quite a bit different. There are programs implemented now that get students thinking about their futures quite a bit earlier than before. Students now have the opportunity to earn CRCs (Career REAdiness Certifications), Southside High School has implemented its Fire Academy, which students are able to start on a path to become a firefighter or EMS personnel and there are several other opportunities which can expedite students on their way to what they want to do as a career, or at the very least, get the wheels turning in one direction or the other.

To go even further, one organization in Beaufort County pushes the envelope for aiding students in thinking about their futures. Beaufort County Police Activities League, which started with a focus on law enforcement and students playing sports together, has switched its focus to exposing the county’s youth to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

This initiative is highly valuable to the future of Beaufort County, particularly its students. The organization recently started a LEGO Robotics Team at P.S. Jones Middle School, which gives middle school students exposure to a basic level of some of the most interesting technology available. Through programs and activities such as that, students are exposed to something new, different, exciting and, in so many words, relevant to the future of the world. At the very least, a student at that age that comes into contact with material like this can go ahead and make a decision of whether they are or aren’t interested and either move forward or find something else they might be interested in.

Programs like PAL’s LEGO Robotics Team and other programs its conducts are a great way to get students thinking about what they want to do before they get to college and even high school. It is a lost feeling to get to college and not know what you want to do, and these programs eliminate that possibility for some of these students.