“We are trying to help students find pathways to success as an adult that possibly does not require a four-year degree,” says Emily Church, an English teacher at East Burke High School and member of the "More than One Way to Win" committee.  The downfall of the United States economy has not only taken a toll on the citizens, but the tragedy has also shown it damage on education as well.  The average set back of a four-year degree is about $140,000. As this may not seem like much to some, it is to many.  It takes hard work and perseverance to afford the financial burden that comes with paying for the degree.  However, in today’s economy, it seems that may not be enough.

So, some staff members from East Burke High School decided to make a new committee, pointed towards showing students that a four year degree is not the only way to go.  The staff members came up with this idea after going to a seminar last summer.  They learned that a four-year degree may not be the right pathway for some students to travel.  According to Sam Wall, a guidance counselor at East Burke High School, “The committee wants to help students understand that they can get a job out of high school, go to a two-year college, or even get a certificate in their field of interest, such as a heating and air certificate.”  While at the seminar, the committee read a book called, Other Ways to Win. The committee came to a conclusive decision to call itself “More Than One Way to Win.”  The committee is made up of ten staff members of East Burke High School; they hold a monthly meeting to discuss how they will help the students.

 Just recently, they decided to offer a career fair at the school to target seniors who had no intention of going to a four-year college.  The committee called local businesses and asked them if they would come to interview students for open positions they had.  Some businesses had no positions available.  However, a small group of eight companies and Western Piedmont Community College came to interview students.  Students were allowed to choose companies to interview with based on their interests.  Church states, “The career fair prepared students in all aspects of the job they applied for.” “Interviewers had very positive comments, overall, of the fair and of EBHS students,” reports Church. The committee did a follow-up on the fair by sending business and student participants a survey to evaluate the success of the fair.  Only 7 percent of the senior class attended the fair.  The committee feels they can make the career fair an annual event with more improvements and gain more student involvement each year.

According to Church, “We really want students to be realistic in their goals and to feel good about leaving high school without pursuing a college degree.” As debt builds, family situations seem to lean to the drastic side. Most school systems today say that it is a necessity to go to a four-year college, but the truth is there are other options. The workforce today can be made up of white and blue collared workers; all we have to do is take the initiative to make it happen.