Senior year is just around the corner… such a relief, & yet still kind of scary. I hope my senior year will be one to remember with just the right balance of hanging with friends, & accomplishing my goals. It’s weird to think that I only have one more year of school left. I guess that’s just because I’ve spent year after year going back to school at summer’s end. I do think though, that Ohio Hi-Point is preparing me to make the transition from High School into college easier. Because of the more independent environment of Ohio Hi-Point I feel like I have been able to discover myself as an individual, apart from my identity within my group of friends at my home school. I plan to take full advantage of my senior year in every way possible,  go out with a bang, and really make it count.
The school year is officially coming to a close. I won’t be blogging a whole lot this summer because I have a lot of plans. I’m going to be working a lot, but I also have some fun things planned as well. At the end of June, I actually have an opportunity to attend Ohio Business Week Camp, and I’m being sponsored by Ohio Hi-Point. I’ll get to explore a lot of new concepts in the area of business and it will be a good learning experience for me, so I probably will blog to you guys about that. =) Also, I’ll be attending our school’s annual Band Camp at Bluffton University! Call me a geek, I LOVE band camp. One thing I love about OHP  is that they are very flexible, so I get to do marching band and I don’t have to miss out on all the good times. I’m sure this summer will fly by, and I’ll be back at this again, blogging away to you guys! Until then, peace. =)

Ohio Hi-Point has been a good experience for me thus far because it allows me an opportunity to learn differently than I would at my home school. In our classrooms we get hands-on learning, and are able to actually put what we learn into practice. It’s preparing me for a career, so I don’t feel like I’m wasting time with something I will never use. One of the things I love about my lab in particular is that I can explore different aspects of something that I’m interested in (technology), and kind of decide from there where my talents fit best into that broad field. For me, it’s combining communication, technology, and art to get Digital Media. But not only do I get the opportunity to decide that before I get to college (so I don’t have to switch my major 6 times to figure out what I like), but the other benefit is that I’m getting credits in other areas of technology that might count toward my general education electives requirements in college, and I’m also getting certifications that can help me in the future to secure a job until that perfect opportunity for a job I’d like to keep until I retire comes along.

At Ohio Hi-Point I have a very unique opportunity to get real world experience in what I’m studying. Two or three days every week I leave OHP at 1:30, and I get to go work without penalty to my grades or attendance through a program called School-to-Work.  I work for Royer Realty Ltd. as an office assistant.
At my job I take care of all the tech problems we have, and I also practice basic office skills such as filing. This experience so far has been great, and has helped give me experience in a professional setting, and it has helped me to build my resume so I can be a great candidate for future employment in an office setting.

Jason and I are members of the Alumni and Friends Association Board at OHP. Basically, this Association is for supporters of Ohio Hi-Point Career Center to stay connected to the school and to one another. Yesterday we had our first meeting, and it was great to know so many people are behind what OHP is doing, and therefore, what I’m able to do because of OHP. I like that through this association, we get a chance to share how cool career-technical education is, and what it can do for others. I got to meet some board members who graduated many years ago from Ohio Hi-Point, and because of their experience here, still are involved to this day! It was a great meeting, and we have some great plans for the future of Ohio Hi-Point!

*You can order Ohio Hi-Point t-shirts, hoodie sweatshirts or polo shirts to help raise money for the Alumni & Friends Scholarship Fund.  Click here for more information. Orders are due May 1st!

Hey guys! My name is Shelby Shafer, and I’m a junior from West Liberty-Salem High School attending the Ohio Hi-Point  Information Technology lab.  I’ve recently been chosen to be added to the student bloggers and I’m SUPER STOKED! =) I can’t wait to share my day-to-day journey at OHP with the people of cyber space! lol.
I really enjoy being able to show people the true picture of Hi-Point and dispel all the rumors people hear. I’ll be blogging about my classes, activities, and just different aspects of my life here. There’s always something fun and exciting to share! Ohio Hi-Point provides SO MANY incredible opportunities, which I can’t wait to share with you as you follow my journey!
Peace until next time!