With a little luck, or maybe a lack there of it, high school seniors take their last fateful strides across the stage at Anderson Arena once every year and step into the real world. On Friday June 2, over 200 Bowling Green High School seniors received their diplomas and went on to start the next part of their adult lives. “I am so excited to be graduating. Now I can have more freedom and get on with my life,” said Trisha Henry, a senior at BGHS. Out of the graduating class, 75 percent will go on to higher education, according to Dan Foust, a guidance counselor at the high school. And about half of these students are going to the University. “Students chose to go to BGSU for different reasons,” Foust said. “Some go because tuition is almost free because their parents work there, but others go because it is close to home or because the University offers a wide variety of majors they are interested in,” said Foust. Henry plans on going to Owens Community College for two years, then transferring to the University to major in graphic design advertising. “Math classes killed me in high school, but now I have more choices,” Henry said. BGHS also allows students to take college classes, either part-time or full time as seniors. For example, MariJane Tripp considers herself a nontraditional student, since she took full-time classes at Owens Community College instead of going to high school. “In some aspects, college was harder than high school, because some of the material was covered in a lot shorter time,” Tripp said. Tripp is already enrolled as a student at the University, and even though she just graduated high school, she will be considered a sophomore this coming fall who plans on majoring in business-prelaw. “I am so excited about graduating high school and going to BGSU next school year, because most of my friends go here,” Tripp said. “I plan on living in the dorms. It is so expensive, but it will be totally worth it.” As for Foust, he said he really enjoys seeing students coming into the high school after they have graduated college. “It’s fun to see kids growing up,” said Foust. No doubt, many BGHS graduates will be seen roaming campus this coming fall, probably looking a little less confused than the average freshman, and hence, the next generation of “townies” is born.