A head start with any challenge is always welcome. M-cubed, a program that allows high school seniors a chance to begin taking college classes early, and earn college credit, is doing just that. I’m in the M-Cubed Program and one of a group of Milwaukee Public School students who took college classes here at MATC (and at UW-Milwaukee on Fridays) in our senior year of high school. We are able to participate in M-Cubed because we have met our high schools’ graduation requirements, allowing us to participate in higher education classes at no cost. We have stepped into the future ahead of time, attempting to forge a path forward. But I think M-Cubed is less about the work and more about the people. Everyone participating in this program is dreaming of something, and I know they will achieve those goals because they are putting in the effort already. Also, we share a common goal, something that almost everyone can agree is a major milestone, graduation.

Graduation, whether you are M-Cubed or not, can be filled with mixed emotions. You get to graduate, move on to the next step of life, you’ve completed a huge accomplishment; this is AMAZING! However, you are now moving forward to an unknown world, you are going to leave everything you know behind; this is SCARY! The intensity, that ferocity of emotions created by graduation is ramped up at M-Cubed. Not only did we have to worry about keeping up with our current college schedules, but also the strenuous college decision and adjusting to the new life we are beginning. In some cases, we are moving to areas where we have never been, meeting new people, and regardless of location or social environment we are ultimately designing our future. I can talk all day about the general reality of graduation, but I want to introduce some students from the M-Cubed program to give you a more personalized perspective on the subject.

Jonathan Evans: “I’m not stressing about graduation; I’m more worried about getting college credit and passing classes. I don’t feel too strongly about the college decision, I know where I’m going and what I’ll do. For me, it’s more about the future. What happens after real college graduation? Where will I end up?”

Dylan Yang: “Just another ceremony, it doesn’t mean anything to me.”

Peyton Anderson: “I’m pumped to graduate. I get to finally explore things and spread my wings.”

Jacob Scherr: “I’m old as hell.”

Nora Fitak: “It’s pretty chill.”

M-Cubed students may have taken college courses already, but now they begin their journey anew. No more waiting, the future is here, and no matter how scared, how excited, or how complacent we are, we should look toward the future with the utmost expectations for success.

The celebration for students graduating from the program will be on Wednesday, June 5 from 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m. in M605 at the Downtown Campus.