My son is a senior this year. Many of you are aware he has overcome many medical issues and has remained in school. Anyhow, his GPA is 3.7 . Pretty good for a kid who has missed as much as he has.
We are now looking at careers and colleges. He is torn between pursuing a 4 year degreee, or a certification in welding. He is taking welding classes right now at our local tech school. From what we have seen welding is a very lucrative occupation. Folks with 4 year degrees are losing their jobs right and left. The blue collar jobs are dying out and the need is great for workers in those fields. Anyhow, we are trying to determine his best course of action. He does qualify for scholarship money, but not enough. He can do the welding program in 18 months for around 8,000.00 and job placement is guarenteed. He is torn. He is extremely intelligent. I have tried to explain that being a welder will not make him less so. A 4 year degree will not make him more so.
He LOVES the program he is in. Please help us pray for th right decision.

((Renee))
So great to hear he is doing so well in school - and looks like he is ready to make a wonderful decision regarding the rest of his life! Momma raised a very smart kid! 
I am praying for your son and you! 

There is nothing saying that he cannot take his welding classes and work towards another degree also. I am sure he will find what he wants to do.
Kim

Praying for the right decision for you son!! Have a Wonderful BLESSED Day my friend!!
Hugs,
Michele

Renee,  with his medical issues would he qualify for assistance from Vocational Rehab?  We have a wonderful counselor here who works with our students and they pay toward college or training after high school.  The only experience I have is with students with an IEP but I know they also help other students.  I agree with Kim.  He could do the welding (which I think is the smart thing to do) and also work toward another degree.  Life decisions are so hard!!!  I know he will be successful what ever he chooses to do.

I agree with Kim....he can weld and then if he wants to pursue his degree, he will be able to pay for it if he does not have enough scholarship money.  He is a son to be proud of!!!!  I am thrilled for him and you Renee.  I will pray that he gets the answer he needs. 

I agree with what others have said.  If he is a welder, he can be making money and pay for college later on if he wishes to.  If I had my time to go over, I would not have spent all the money I spent on college.  It did not make me smarter.  The only thing I learned in college is that it takes an awfully long time to pay back a student loan.  I was going for a double major in secondary ed which, at the time, would have given me a career starting out at $24,000 a year. 

I have often said I wish I had spent all that money on mechanic school so, at the very least, I could fix my own car. 

If I were a senior in high school, I would seriously consider going into sales, being my own boss, making my own rules, making the money for myself and not someone else.

Check with the State Employment Office too.  They may have a welding class or something similar.  I went to North Alabama Skills Center and took their secretarial course and the state paid me to go.  After I took that course, I started getting better jobs.  They had "manly" courses too like truck driving and such, so they may have a welding course. 

I only got to be a junior in college before life got in the way and I had to drop out.  So, should he encounter more medical issues and have to drop out for any reason, it will be harder to go back.  I dropped out and went back 5 times before finally saying enough is enough.  If I had done something that took 18 months, maybe I would have been able to support myself sooner and not ended up in the shape I'm in now. 

My GPA was 4.0 and my IQ is 140.  This is not to brag, but just to say that what you said is correct.  My dropping out of school and not being what the world thought I should be did not make me stupid.  I think being a welder is a smart thing.

I think the best, most telling statement in your post was this:

"He LOVES the program he is in."

Loving what you do counts for a lot.

Wishing you the best,
Love,
Joni