Graduates Embrace Uncertain Future

ROGERS — About 900 Rogers students will walk the stage today at two graduation ceremonies in Bud Walton Arena at the University of Arkansas. On Saturday, 36 people will graduate from Benton County School of the Arts.

Students said they are concerned about the job outlook but hope college will help.

Just thinking about their future jobs puts them ahead of the game, said Cameron Smith of Cameron Smith & Associates, a recruiting firm.

“This generation that you’re talking about is without a doubt the most educated generation of all time,” Smith said. “They’re also going to be the most unemployed ever.”

He advises young people to get everything they can out of college by getting involved and soaking up what visiting speakers have to say. Internships and practical experience during college can net job offers on the way out of college, Smith said.

“You can’t wait until after you graduate college to draw your road map. Start it now,” he said.

Jeremy Derkovitz, a counselor at Heritage High School, said the school puts an emphasis on preparing students for the global job market. Advisory groups help them with career plans and setting goals. Whether students’ goals are college or technical careers, the school tries to connect them with the skills they need for employment, Derkovitz said.

“We try to make sure that we are working with the businesses of our community to give them what they need,” he said.

Before their big moment, soon-to-be grads talked about goals and what they expect from life after high school. Each has a different vision. Some worry the plans they have made may not turn out, but say they are ready to face whatever comes.

Moving Pictures

Zach Keast, 18, a senior at Benton County School of the Arts, plans to attend Hendrix College where his major will be English with an emphasis in film studies. Teaching is his backup plan, but Keast wants to make movies with the punchy dialog found in his hero Quentin Tarantino’s work.

Austin, Texas, is Keast’s Hollywood, and the amateur filmmaker said he is optimistic for a future in video.

Movies made for companies such as Netflix, Redbox or Hulu will increase, Keast said.

“There's a lot more things going on and a lot more companies to work for,” Keast said.

While he feels optimistic, he said today’s college graduate may not be doing what they studied for and the economy has him worried.

“It's scary,” Keast said.

Interconnected World

Kailey Harrell, 17, a senior at Rogers High School, plans to attend the University of Arkansas, but is undecided on a major. She has looked into social studies, but something in the medical field may net her a better job, Harrell said.

“I don't want to get a college education and be working at some fast food place,” she said.

Job choices are more limited than they were for her parent's generation, Harrell said. People no longer pick a major, go to school and have a job in that field for life.

“I think our choice of what we get to do is going to be limited,” Harrell said.

If jobs are limited, the world is more open than ever. Harrell connects the crisis in the Arab world with higher fuel prices. That affects the economy, putting jobs in short supply, prompting a discussion on immigration and eventually affecting the presidential race, she said. No one event stands alone.

“They're all connected,” she said.

That level of interconnectedness is new, Harrell said.

Her classmates are technology savvy and connected to the world through computers and cellphones — things they have always known.

“We've kinda grown up with the interconnectedness thing,” she said.

Mission: Make A Difference

Trevor Beutler, 19, a senior at Heritage High School will graduate and head to South Korea on a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, before heading to college.

Years of debate have given Beutler a love for the law. Mock trials were his favorite part of debate, but he’s weighing the options within the field.

“I hope to bring a little more ethics into the courtroom,” Beutler said, adding he would also like to break lawyer stereotypes.

In the future, Beutler thinks people will remember recent political landmarks such as Barack Obama being elected as the country’s first black president, and Mitt Romney’s campaign as a Mormon presidential candidate.

Beutler was in Joplin, Mo., last year around the time Obama visited the city. Helping residents affected by the devastation of the tornado was a humbling experience, Beutler said.

“I'll remember the Joplin tornado incident because I helped right after that,” he said.

Environmental Concern

Clara Plum, 17, a senior at Benton County School of the Arts, plans to major in environmental science or horticulture at the University of Arkansas.

People should be more aware of how their actions affect the world’s ecosystem, Plum said. She thinks the job outlook in her field is bright and wants to work in an educator role.

She worked with fellow students to encourage recycling at her school. In the next 10 years she hopes to see more hybrid cars on the road and advances in environmental technology and jobs.

“It's such a big issue right now,” Plum said. “I feel like so much stuff is going to open up.”