As flowers attempt to bloom among the stubborn piles of snow, seniors are beginning to feel a slight weight, in the form of acceptance letters, lifted off their shoulders. These letters hold more than the word “Congratulations!” and a new student ID number. These letters hold promise for the future, for a career, and now that the anxiety is over for many seniors, the topic of interest changes flow from ‘what college’ to ‘what subject’. And with the vast variety of courses, majors, and careers out there, seniors respond with a wide range of answers.

Seniors William Zile and Gregory Packhem plan to study engineering, though each has a different career path in mind. Zile looks forward to “working on new types of renewable energy and laughing at [Venezuelan President, Hugo] Chavez’s future threats of cutting [off] our oil supply.” With this goal in mind, Zile waits it out, as the beginning of April will be when his final college letter arrives. URI is a possibility Zile has also kept in mind, as, like many seniors, he has found the college process to be more expensive than anticipated.

Packhem’s engineering goals differ greatly from Zile’s, though they carry similar titles. Hoping to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the fall, Packhem credits his inspiration to become an engineer to his Legos. He’s been a part of Project Lead the Way to prepare for a mechanical engineering degree that will allow him to pursue many careers. “One option I have considered is designing prosthetic limbs for amputees.  Think Star Wars or I-Robot,” said Packhem.

On the right side of the brain is senior Leslie Govalet.  Intending to take courses for a Fashion Merchandising major at URI, Govalet has already gotten her feet wet in the subject by interning with Janelle Feigley, owner of Wickford’s fashion boutique, Gossip. “I've always believed that when a person loves how they look in their outfit, they feel more confident,” said Govalet in an email interview, “I want to help people gain confidence with their appearance.”

College panic has almost faded from the halls of NK (though talk of scholarships still induce sweating at times) and seniors can look back on the application process with a mix of amusement and irony. Said Zile, “My dad almost had to sell his kidney on the black market to pay all the College Board fees.”