During senior year of high school, seniors start going down  different paths that will lead them to the adult they desire.  While many seniors at Arrowhead choose to apply to college and spend two to four years of their lives at higher education, others choose paths like apprentice programs, military service, or take a year off.  Arrowhead senior Ryan Henningsen is one of the students looking to take the year off before starting college.

“I know the general field I want to go into just not the specifics,” says Henningson.

Henningson knows that he wants to go into the computer field, but he does not know whether he wishes to go into computer science or video game design.  Computer science is more focused on the hardware of the computers where video game design Henningson would be working more with the software side of computer games.

“It’s not like I’m gonna slack off for this year, I have a plan,” says Henningsen.

Henningson says he is planning on going on trips to different video game companies and job shadow a few places so that he can figure out what it is he actually wants to do.

One destination on his list is a little known game publisher called Botiga, based in Seattle, Washington.  Henningsen says he hopes to talk with some of the developers to better understand what he needs to know to work as a video game developer.

“I’m not gonna jump in head first, I want to make sure there is nothing sharp in my way,” says Henningsen.

Henningson also hopes to earn funds by working during the year he is taking off of school.

“The final step is disregarding females so I may attain currency and further my education,” says Henningsen.

Henningsen also says the main purpose of his year off of school is so that he can better understand himself so he does not make a wrong move when choosing what college he wants to attend and what major he wishes to work towards.

“Juniors: work your [butts] off and get a good grasp on what you want to do, this is your whole life that is spreading out in front of you, choose wisely,”  says Henningsen.

Henningsen says the real advice for juniors should actually be pointed to the Arrowhead freshmen and sophomores as they are the ones who should work even harder than the juniors.