Now that the second semester has arrived, seniors are narrowing down their college choices. Three students have decided to go to Cowley next year. Cowley County is a two-year public community college. The main campus is located in Arkansas City, while there are some campuses for vocational programs located in Wellington, Mulvane, Wichita, and Winfield. 

One of the reasons students said they chose to go to a community college is because of the reasonable tuition. 

“It will allow me to further my career without having to pay a full university tuition,” senior C.J. Round said. 

Round said he plans on going to Cowley at the Ark City Campus for computer hardware engineering. 

During high school, students have the opportunity to take classes through Cowley for college credit. Many students take this opportunity because it is cheaper to take these classes in high school. 

“I’ve already done a lot of classes through Cowley, so it is easy to transfer all my credits,” senior Natalie Doffing said. “Plus it is cheaper.” 

Doffing said she plans on going to Cowley for Early Childhood Education at the Ark City Campus. 

Senior Blake Pauly is the only student currently attending a vocational program through Cowley. Pauly goes to the Cowley Campus in Mulvane for his classes in the mornings this year, and then attends CSHS in the afternoon for his remaining required courses. Next year, Pauly said he plans to continue going to the Mulvane campus. His plan is to apply at RedGuard and become a welder. 

“[I like doing the vocational program because] I can actually be doing something productive that aligns with my career path,” he said. 

The transition between high school and college can be stressful for a lot of students. Some have said they are ready to move on and start their careers. 

“I’m a little bit nervous, but I am excited to leave high school,” Doffing said.