Selecting a high school pathway has become an inaugural tradition at Ann Richards that all 8th-turning-9th-grade students will go through. Rising high schoolers went between pathway classrooms, Biomedical Science, Engineering, and Media Technology, on Pathway Day to learn more about the programs they will commit to for four years. Here are five 8th graders opinions on what pathways they look forward to joining.

Aretxi Castro (8) is excited to join the Engineering Pathway. “Ms. Reed had told us Engineering is one of the pathways colleges look for,” Castro said. When asked what she was more excited about, only one word could suffice: “Building.”

“I wanted to join Biomed because I like taking notes and [the students] said there was a lot of note taking,”  Mariah Garza said (8). Garza is in the process of narrowing down her pathway options. “[On pathway day,] I get to go see the different types of pathways to choose from, and I was thinking about Engineering too. My mom wants me to do either one because she said it will help me be prepared for the future.”

“I’m stuck between Media Tech and Engineering, just because Media Tech sounds really fun and a chance to be really creative and Engineering also sounds really fun and you can do a lot of problem-solving,”  Mairany Serrano (8) said.  ”I’m nervous about the homework load, how it will affect my social life, and that I’ll stay up every day until 1 A.M.”

Lily Koppen (8) is torn between the Engineering and Media Technology Pathways. “I’m thinking Engineering because I’ve always been drawn to that pathway, but I recently learned about Media Tech and that seems like a big contender because that seems really interesting and fun,“ Koppen said.

“I’m kind of stuck between Biomed and Engineering, and I’m hoping pathway day will help me decide,” Sara Maupin (8) said. “In Engineering, I want to build and plan things and draw, because those are things I like a lot, and in Biomed, I just have always wanted to learn about the human body, and I kind of want to become a doctor when I’m older.”