While COVID had a negative impact on students around the world, there are some classes that benefited from it and the challenges of distance learning. The Class of 2021 had many reductions to their graduation requirements, but the class of 2022 also benefited. While future classes will be expected to complete 230 units over their time in high school (see AHS Graduation Requirements), the graduating Class of 2022 at all high schools, including Sem Yeto, will have the elective requirement “reduced from 70 required credits to 40 required credits… The overall credits required for graduation will be reduced from 230 credits to 200 credits. (Daily Republic)

Some students have chosen to take advantage of this reduction and graduate a semester early. Angel Ceja, Sherlyn Guzman-Parra and Aedin Tomko decided to finish their education online, completing their senior year December 2021. Mikaela Dennard, Amanda Wright and Ny’Saan Craft doubled up on some of their classes so that they could reach graduation with the required number of credits long before the rest of their classmates.

Students who make the decision to leave before graduation, either by a semester or a year, do so for a variety of reasons.

“I chose to graduate early because I wanted to be done with school early and work before college starts,” said Craft.

It was a little different for Wright. “I chose to do early graduation at the end of my junior year…  I made this decision because my counselor told me about how my credits would let me do this and when I thought about it, it seemed like a really good opportunity,” she said. “I mainly want to graduate early so I can start working full time and save money as well as get work experience.”

Both Craft and Wright wanted to take advantage of the reduction of credits that was only available because of the pandemic. “If it wasn’t for that then I would still be graduating with everybody else in June,” said Craft.

“It works out well for me personally because I’m able to put all my efforts into just one semester of my senior year so my grades have been much better and I am more willing to do all my assignments since I know I am almost done,” Wright said.

She plans to work thorough until August and then start up at a community college in Oregon to be closer to family who lives there.

Craft plans to work from January to July and then go to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, although he is also considering attending San Diego State or Sacramento State, or maybe even a trade school for electricians.

While they both will have officially graduated, they do intend to take part in some of the spring activities that their classmates will be involved in: Prom, Senior Trip and Graduation, if they happen this year.

The early graduates this year were able to make their plans because of the credit reductions caused by COVID, but it is possible for students every year. Some students plan ahead with extra classes at Solano Community College over the year or adding summer school or 0 period classes throughout the years. The steps are the same, although the challenges are increased for students in future years.

“The steps I took to graduate early were

1. Making sure I passed all my classes junior year,
2. Filling out a form and sending it in to be approved for early graduation, and
3. Talking to my counselor who was really helpful,” said Wright.

“It was a very simple process.”

Craft also had a recommendation for students considering graduating early. “Make sure you don’t procrastinate and turn in all your work on time. Also, make sure you have a plan after you graduate.”