Life after graduating from high school as a sophomore 

Olivia Muñoz is a second-year student at Los Angeles Pierce College studying journalism and film.

Scrolling through my social media feed, I feel a tug at my heart. Pictures of my high school friends hanging out at basketball games, celebrating college acceptances and enjoying their senior year flash before my eyes. 

Even while I swallow the lump in my throat, I can’t say that I regret my decision to graduate from high school as a sophomore. 

Nearly 12,000 California students participated in the High School Equivalency Test, or the Hi-SET, from 2024 to 2025, according to its annual statistics report. The Hi-SET allows students to complete separate tests in subjects such as language arts, math, science and social studies, and if they pass, they can graduate early. 

My dad told me about the Hi-SET in eighth grade. He has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders, pushing me to reach higher, and he brought up the graduate-early idea the summer before freshman year because he knew, way before I did, that I was ready for college. 

I was skeptical — I had been enrolled in an independent study program throughout elementary and middle school, and all I wanted was to finally have a normal education. I argued with him about how high school would give me the chance to make friends, pursue sports and have a steady schedule, things I didn’t have with my current schooling. 

Despite my objections, I kept my dad’s proposal in mind. I liked the idea of taking the road less traveled and setting myself apart, even if the thought scared me just a little. 

High school was a change of pace from independent study. I tried out for the cheer team and made it as a junior varsity captain, became the president of my own Cinema Club, discovered my love for journalism and formed a close-knit group of friends.  

Still, there was this voice in the back of my head pushing me to consider testing out. 

I had fallen in love with my life as a high schooler, but I knew in my heart that I could be doing more. There was this nagging feeling that this wasn’t the right path for me. 

I felt like my life was diverging into two roads, and for the first time, I was afraid to take the untraveled one. 

It took me about three months to just take the tests and see if I wanted to commit afterward. My hands shook as I enrolled in the Hi-SET tests, and my heart pounded when I actually took them online. A few weeks later, I received emails congratulating me on passing them, and months later, an official certificate of proficiency. 

The certificate was thick with a glossy seal. At that point, I knew what my decision would be.

I told my friends I was leaving high school. I withheld the storm of emotions brewing within me as we hugged, promising to hang out, even though I knew most of those promises would not come true — our lives were far too different now. I only allowed myself to cry in the comfort of my bedroom, letting waves of grief wash over me as I mourned what could have been.  

I would have to start over again in community college. 

Planning for college as a freshly minted 17-year-old was not easy. I had to drive 30 minutes to my chosen school, Los Angeles Pierce College, four times in two weeks just to get paperwork sorted out. My first day on campus was filled with dread and anxiety, my hands trembling as I sat in my statistics class with a group of 20- to 40-year-olds. 

The spring semester was when I began to come out of my shell and actively seek out journalism opportunities, my passion. Like the golden poppies blooming on my walk to class, I began to open up and connect more with my classmates and professors, which gave me the confidence to join the student newspaper, magazine and radio. 

With the support of my new campus community, I pursued everything I wanted to do. It was bittersweet seeing my high school friends on Instagram and TikTok, living their own lives without me, but I understood that this was a part of life — people change, they grow and they move forward. 

Even though my high school graduation occurred earlier than most, I don’t feel like I missed out on anything. I didn’t go to prom or senior sunset, and I couldn’t participate in any of the milestones that come with being an upperclassman in high school. 

However, I was able to find a new community that encouraged me to pursue opportunities and helped me find them. I have done things that I didn’t think I was capable of, and most importantly, I’ve been able to return the favor to others. 

Change is frightening, but staying the same is scarier. When you are presented with a choice between the road less traveled and the comfortable, beaten path, I say listen to my dad’s words and take a leap of faith to venture into the unknown. 

Olivia Muñoz is a second-year student at Los Angeles Pierce College studying journalism and film. She is a member of the EdSource California Student Journalism Corps.

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