It didn’t take Jordyn Fox long to decide SM East wasn’t a good fit for her.
There were so many kids in the halls. Her classes felt big and she had a hard time connecting with her teachers. So after a quarter, she took a tour of Horizons, Shawnee Mission’s alternative high school.
“It just seemed right,” Fox said.
Two and a half years later, at just 16 years old, she received her high school diploma at Horizons’ graduation ceremony Wednesday.
Fox credits the change in schools with helping set her up to pursue the career she’s dreamed about since she was 3 years old: becoming a veterinarian. Staff at the school helped her amass the credits she needed to graduate quickly, including taking some of her classes online. With the help of Horizons programs, she got a job at a local animal hospital. Now, she’s taking classes at JCCC, checking off prerequisites with the intention of transferring to K-State to get her veterinary degree.
“I always thought I wanted to work with big cats, like lions and tigers,” Fox said. “But the more I work with dogs and cats, the more I think that would be great, too.”
Fox said she had some growing up to do over her high school years.
“There was a lot of drama early on, and it’s hard to get away from,” she said. “But I did it. I deleted all my social media. That’s where a lot of drama starts. I look back and it feels pretty silly to have gotten involved in all of that. At some point I realized that school’s going to be over soon, and none of that stuff gets you anywhere.”
Now, she’s excited to start her next phase.
“I’m really glad I went here,” she said of Horizons. “It was a good place for me.”
