By Kara Adkins
Online Copy Editor

In 38 days, the senior class will be saying its goodbyes to Coppell High School and going their separate ways. For some, familiar faces will surround them on their college journey, while for other students, new states, new countries, and new experiences await them.

For many seniors, making a final college decision is never easy, but for senior Miles Pitman, his unique career goal made his decision much easier. Pitman decided to attend the University of Alaska next fall in hopes of spending a lifetime in the great outdoors.

“I didn’t know I wanted to go far away from home, but I knew what I wanted to do,” Pitman said. “I wanted to get a job where I didn’t sit around and type on the computer all day, I wanted to work outside. I want to be a mountain guide or work for something like National Geographic or Discovery.”

For senior Topias Hokkanen, living far away from home is not a new concept. With his father working for Nokia and his mother a diplomat, after being born in Finland he has lived in Mexico, Brazil, Thailand and now the United States. He will add another country to that long list as he goes off to college next year in England.

“I want to go to Europe because I want to enjoy my homeland and England is a beautiful place,” Hokkanen said. “I want to experience new culture, new people, and great schools.”

However, the majority of students at Coppell High School won’t be going on quite as big of an adventure next fall when they leave home for college. A popular choice amongst seniors this year is the University of Arkansas. Known for football and a large college feel, it will be a much more familiar atmosphere for seniors.

“I believe people are going to Arkansas because it’s easy to get in state [tuition] and it’s a good college life campus with sororities and fraternities and a good education” future Arkansas student Brooke Bolling said.

However, for Hokkanen, the football and Greek life many colleges in America offer weren’t factors when he sat down to make his big decision.

“I wanted something different, nothing typical. If I wanted to I could have stayed in America easily; I got accepted to Boston College, Tulane, Miami and all of the Texas schools I applied to, but I want to go to Europe,” Hokkanen said. “It has been my life dream and both of my brothers live in Europe.”

For Pitman, Alaska offers many great opportunities he could not pass up. He got admitted into a certificate program in which only 12 students get accepted into. With this certificate he will be able to be mountain guide after college.

“I will be majoring in environmental studies and will also have an outdoor skills and leadership certificate on top of that so I can be a guide,” Pitman said. “It’s mountaineering courses, back country skiing and ice climbing.”

In order to prepare for the program and his future career, Pitman backpacked through Nevada and California earlier this year and is going up to France over the summer to backpack 500 miles to Spain.

Even though Pitman will be far away from home, the Alaskan college will still provide him with the traditional things Americans usually find in colleges. On the other hand, Hokkanen will have a different living situation, tuition and overall experience.

“They randomize your roommates for the first semester and they change you every month for a new roommate. It’s usually a huge suite of 10 people,” Hokkanen said. “That’s not the only difference – as far as tuition goes, Europe provides an affordable college experience. European college is a lot cheaper, for example, the Dutch college would be around $2,000 a year.”

Yet not everybody is looking for a completely new world in college. Bolling is excited to spend her college years with many of the students she has grown up with and have those relationships carry on throughout college.

“I’m pretty close with everybody who is going to Arkansas next year and it’s a good thing there are so many Coppell kids going because it helps me adjust to college and I can meet people through the friends I already have from Coppell.” Bolling said.

Whether it’s across the United States, right outside home, or across the globe, college is sure to be an exciting time for the class of 2012 as they have a future to look forward to and a great high school to look back on.