The school gives students the opportunity to do something that is commonly fantasized about: leaving school early. Through the Work Based Learning program, some students get to leave campus before the dismissal bell.

Work Based Learning helps students to prepare for what life has to offer after high school. If someone does not plan on going to college, it is ideal to get a head start on a career. The longer an employee works at a company, the more likely the employee is to receive a promotion, or advance higher in the career ladder.

Junior Thomas Mann takes advantage of the program. He works at Wal-Mart for about 25 hours each week. He claims that the program is giving him the opportunity to become a more experienced employee.

“[Work Based Learning] is helping me get more education with my job, so if I wanted to go further up in my job, I would have more time with work instead of school,” Mann said.

The program was established for working students who want to work more hours. Students in the program have more time to focus on work as well as schoolwork.

Senior Bailey Bennett is also part of the program. She works at Edwards Food Giant for about 25 hours a week, working mainly on the weekends and some week days after she leaves school at 1:30 p.m.

“The days I don’t have work, I can just go home and take a nap,” Bennett said. “But if I do have work, I can go in earlier, which means more hours, which means I get paid more.”

The program is a great opportunity for students to work more hours, though some take advantage of the program for more down time. Work Based Learning is meant to teach students how to handle more responsibility with school and work, as students in the program are encouraged to hold themselves accountable for how they allocate their time. Bennett claims that some students should not be in the program.

“Some people just work weekends,” Bennett said. “Some people don’t work until six. There’s no point in being in Work Based if you work later in the day.”

However, Bennett believes that the program has been successful thus far in its mission of preparing students for life after high school.

“[Work Based Learning] has helped me understand how to take care of my responsibilities,” Bennett said. “I’m glad I’m able to have the opportunity to get ready for the real world.”