From getting a head start on college to freeing up time for a job to personal reasons like wanting to put high school behind them, 35 Manhattan High students will finish their high school experience for good on Friday when they graduate early. In order to be successful and graduate early, these students stayed on top of their work, figured out what they wanted to do first and made sure they had all their credits.

For Giovanni Poggi-Corradini, senior, it was about finishing high school early to get on to college. He’s already taken some college courses and is planning to attend Kansas State University in the fall.

“I have all the credits I need so it just made sense,” Poggi-Corradini said.

While some early graduates are planning to attend college right away, others are going for an online option.

“Right now what I want to do is [go into] online programs instead of going to college because I am not sure where I want to go first,” Kendric Smith, senior, said. “I would rather … find my personal … trait.”

Graduating early can cause you to miss out on things, so a common opinion between early grads is to make sure you have done everything you want to.

“I don’t like to graduate early because … I won’t be able to see my friends a lot,” Smith said.

Aricela Martinez, senior, decided to graduate early to get a head start on college and her career. Next semester, she plans on taking a few MATC classes, and in August she plans to attend Kansas State University. While some are reluctant about graduating early, she looks at it a different way.

“I’m excited and glad about it,” Martinez said. “I’m ready to move on to the next chapter in life.”