According to data from National Clearinghouse, which tracks students after they leave high school, 314 students from the Class of 2018 and 308 students from the Class of 2019 currently attend a 2-year college, which shows that AHS students lean towards 2-year colleges.

         

Alumnus Kien Doan, says that he picked Chabot for its low costs and locality.

         

“[My] main reason is financial since I don’t get much aid, so I kinda am saving [50 thousand dollars] at least compared to a lot of other options,” Doan said.

         

Similar to Doan, alumnus Andrew Aquino, also attends Chabot for convenience and to use his time there to figure out where he wants to go and what to be.

         

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“Plus, you can transfer to your dream school while taking classes on what you want to do and spending less than the others who are there for four years,” Aquino said.

         

These sentiments are reflected in student interactions with Career Center Specialist Cecilia Adams. Adams thinks that many students who attend Chabot are uncertain of their future, and attending Chabot allows them to find out what line of work they are interested in, and are given ways  to get them started on those career paths.

         

“Typically, what happens is they’re not sure of their career path, and so a college education guides them and also has resources on campuses, so most campuses have career centers that are valuable to those students because it gives them an opportunity to apply for internships, develop their resume and interview skills, and an opportunity to go into interviews and apply for particular companies that they would not know about unless they have that opportunity.“  

         

On the other hand, though state colleges or UCs are often highly praised for academic achievements, some students of those colleges would prefer to attend Chabot. Alumni Jamiel Sampson, currently attends Sacramento State University. He chose to attend Sac State because he wanted to immerse himself in the college environment and live in a dorm, though living on-campus has its differences to living at home.

         

“...I get to make my own choices and have much more freedom. It still is a little challenging though,” Sampson said. “I have to wake up on time and I can’t be lazy with homework.”

       

Although he is confident in a career in theater and enjoys Sac State and initially did not consider Chabot as a college choice, he is considering transferring in the future, like so many students tend to do. “I still do consider it for next year, just because I was making a lot of money and could have saved a lot,” Sampson said.

         

Thus, many AHS students prefer Chabot because of its proximity and prices. Though the bridge from high school to college can be a hard one to cross, Doan still thinks that Chabot is a solid choice for students who plan to stay and those who plan to transfer.

         

“I would say yes to Chabot being a good choice; it is the same classes that I would take at a UC. I won’t have to worry about loans, and it is close to home,” Doan said. •