Oh the places you'll go: High school grads share future plans

Note: This story was changed to fix an error. See correction at bottom. 

People always ask kids what they want to be when they're older, and most say something related to a hobby they like while others choose something they see family members doing.

The decision of "what do you wanna be when you grow up?" is never really answered until kids become adults and enter the real world, something hundreds of high school graduates are doing this spring.

With thousands of careers and paths to pursue, three students from the Ashland, Holmes and Wayne counties' area shared their stories of what they plan to do after getting their high school diplomas.

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After applying to nine colleges and having her top choice not accept her, Jenna Book was shocked yet excited to get an acceptance letter from Princeton University in New Jersey.

It was the one college the Loudonville graduate had applied to on a whim, and not only had they accepted her, but they offered financial aid that would cover 90% of the expenses.

Unsure if it was the right fit, Book took a trip to the campus in early April and immediately fell in love.

“The campus is beautiful, and ironically, the campus at Washington University (her top choice) was patterned after Princeton’s,” Book said. “Looking at the campus solidified in me the idea that I have been accepted by the right place for me.”

Hoping to eventually attend medical school after getting her undergraduate degree, Book decided to pursue a degree in chemistry on the pre-med track at Princeton.

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She hopes to enroll in a special freshman scholars’ program that will allow her to go to Princeton two months before the fall semester begins and get “a slower introduction to Princeton academics” by taking two courses during that time.

As Book leaves Loudonville High School, she leaves her positions as the FFA vice president, president of her senior class and membership in the National FFA Band.

Army bound West Holmes grad looks forward to officer training

Growing up with a mother who was in the U.S. Navy, a grandfather and great-grandfather who were in the Army and other relatives who were all Marines, Kenny Hoover always knew he wanted to be a member of the Armed Forces.

When he started showing more interest in joining his sophomore year, the West Holmes graduate sat down with his mom to ask her permission to sign up when he was still 17.

“(When) he approached me and brought up that he's been talking to the recruiters at the school, I really got more into depth and talking to him about it,” Kenny’s mom, Anne, said. “(I wanted) to make sure that's what he wanted to do, because I've been there and done it, so I wanted to make sure that he knew what he was getting himself into.”

After getting his mom’s permission, Hoover signed up and was sworn in Nov. 4, 2020, during the fall of his junior year. Over the next summer he attended boot camp, returning just in time to finish out his senior year.

Facing some challenges with keeping his grades up and nearly failing a few courses his senior year, Hoover graduated this May and is heading off for Advanced Individual Training this summer.

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While away Hoover plans to finish his associate degree in criminology and start working toward a bachelor’s degree in the same field when he returns in August.

Hoover’s end goal is to attend Officer Candidate School and become an officer in the U.S. Army.

Dalton grad sets out to open a local allergy friendly bakery

Aubrey Geiser grew up competing in make-believe cooking contests and watching most of her family bake, so from about the age of 9 Geiser knew she wanted to enter the culinary field.

Fast forward four to five years later, the Dalton High School grad had expanded her kitchen skills, finding she liked making baked goods the most, but also developed an allergy to two of the most common things found in baked goods — gluten and dairy.

Determined to not let her allergies stop her, Geiser began trying new gluten- and dairy- free products and created new dishes she could eat.

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As Geiser learned more, she realized there were not very many bakeries that offered food for people with gluten and dairy allergies, so she decided to change that and start her own bakery called Aubey’s Bakery.

“I try to think of everyone and I try to make sure that everyone is taken care of and content,” Geiser said. “And if I can have an option for everybody and everyone can eat something despite their allergies, it really does make a difference.”

With the goal of opening her own bakery in the Dalton area, Geiser hopes to make baked goods that are allergy friendly for all types of allergies and not just gluten and dairy free.

For now, Geiser said she is saving her money to buy a new car and hopes to expand her business slowly through showing her foods at local stores and online orders through her Instagram page.

Correction: Kenny Hoover’s grandfather and great-grandfather were members of the Army and his father wasn't. They were incorrectly mentioned when the story was first published June 8.  

Ashland Times Gazette Correspondent Jim Brewer contributed to this report.  

Reach Rachel Karas at rkaras@gannett.com   

On Twitter: @RachelKaras3 

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne, Ashland, Holmes grads set on career paths close to their hearts