An idea was turned into reality when WHHS teacher, Steven Hill, installed a graduation goals chalkboard next to the commons this past summer.  

Hill, a college accounting teacher, visited Alaska this past summer and saw something that inspired him.  It was a board on which people wrote what they want to do before they die.  After approaching Principal Maureen Weir and Assistant Principal Michael Rewick with his idea, they decided to install a chalkboard where WHHS students would get to write what they want to do after graduation.  

The installation was not an easy task, however it was well worth the effort put into the job, Hill said.  With the help of his children, the project was finished in about a week.  Hill took a week out of his summer to give back to WHHS in hopes that this chalkboard would have a beneficial impact on the students.  

Due to the popular location of the board, many have seen the phrase “When I graduate I want to…” and were encouraged to think about what their future holds.  This was Hill’s goal when he painted this chalkboard because he said that he thinks that “[students] have to have [their] goals set.” He was also intrigued as to what the students reactions were going to be when they saw the chalkboard.

Many students have taken this board seriously, writing things such as, ‘When I graduate I want to be a scientist,” and “When I graduate I want to make a change.” When told by students how serious the board was being taken, he was thrilled that the students were successfully setting their goals.

On the other hand, there were students who have not taken the project as seriously as others. Setting goals like, “when I graduate I want to be a panda,” obviously impossible and very silly. When Hill was asked if he expected some students to not take this seriously he said, “Oh yeah, but I hoped there would be some self policing from the upper classmen.”

Hill wished that the students could learn and mature from this chalkboard project.