Flowers are blooming, the weather is warm, and within the vibrancy of Easthampton spring, seniors are just finishing Core 12.

Core 12 is a class that all seniors are required to attend in the third trimester of school. In these classes, they learn about professional skill development, financial literacy, college preparation, and more. Students start to get a taste for job applying and networking and are introduced to the alumni community.

Originally, the Core curriculum was exclusively a 9th-grade program, but since 2021 it has slowly expanded its way to an all-school program, with the freshman focus being on identity, sophomores learning about sexuality and relationships, juniors getting acquainted with the college process through working with college advisors and the DEIB group, and seniors learning about how to survive after high school.

Kate Garrity, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Life Curriculum, has witnessed the whole evolution of the Core 12 curriculum.

“The class itself has been in discussions for 5 years. I came here 10 years ago, and the goal for Core was always to make it a 4-year curriculum,” she said. “Core 12 has morphed and taken on a few different renditions, but the baseline goal has always been to, in any way possible, help seniors prepare for next steps.”

David Korikotski, the Dean of Students, was also part of the Core 12 creation process.

“We talked to this alumni group called the Heads Visiting Council, which consists of about 20 alums that work closely with the school, and we had a meeting about a year ago where we started brainstorming ideas. We also talked with the student council of last year’s graduated senior class,” he said.

Coraline Channell, Assistant Dean of Students for Community, thinks that the class is a great launching point to acclimate to their future adult life.

“The great part about it is that it’s not a graded course, there’s no homework; it’s supposed to just focus on applied skills and be helpful for your first job,” she said.

Korikotski envisioned Core 12 as a last opportunity before the seniors leave to teach them “life skills.”

“The first iteration of the class had ideas like how to change tires, cooking on a budget, how to sew, and other practical stuff,” he said. “This idea evolved after conversations with alumni, and we shifted the curriculum to financial literacy and professional competency.”

One of the most successful parts of Core 12 is the seniors’ consistent attendance and enthusiasm, according to Korikotski.

“I am overwhelmed and affirmed by the fact that everyone showed up to every class and did their work. I thought people were going to skip the class, but surprisingly there was a lot of engagement,” Korikotski said.

Garrity was also pleasantly surprised by the seniors’ participation.

“We really paid attention to the fact that it’s senior spring and that we were going to take away a free period, so we wanted the class to be useful and done before all the AP tests started,” Garrity said. “But everyone attended every class, and it was pretty successful.”

Part of Core 12 is having every senior participate in a mock interview with Williston alums.

Garrity thinks the interview is a crucial part of the class.

“Some students feel that the interview might not be needed, but it’s not just about the interview itself,” she said. “It’s also matching alums with students and building that network so that the students have a safety net as they enter college or a workplace. Talking to all the alums also introduces students to different industries and fields, so it can also be an exploration for their future.”

Will Vachet, senior, has recently completed his interview with alum Migan Sullivan, who’s a business owner of a restaurant.

“I think the interview really just came down to being able to have a conversation,” he said. “It’s just about social skills and how to not be awkward and keep the conversation flowing.”

Will feels he has learned the most about professional development skills through Core 12.

“The class taught me that having a good reputation and a good resume can take you a long way, and that you must have connections to succeed,” he said.

Channell loves working on professional development and creating resumes. She describes both as “hobbies” of hers.

“My first job was in a corporate setting; I went to a lot of workshops during my summer internships, so this has been such a passion project for me. I love resumes, I love applying to jobs even though I’m not currently looking for any,” she said.

Channell emphasizes the importance of finding a job with a compatible work culture.

“It’s important to feel out the culture of the place you’re applying to. People love familiar things, so it’s important to make people connect to you,” she said.

Jessica Tabb Wood, Learning Specialist at Williston who frequently works with students to help them with time management, organization, and executive function, has heard many different opinions from seniors about the Core classes.

“Some have found lessons to be very interesting, like the one on taxes, while others thought it was pointless and think, ‘Why do we have to be learning this now?’” she said. “It’s the same thing with the LinkedIn accounts. Some found it really helpful, while others just thought it was one more thing they had to do during senior spring.”

Will thinks that the Core classes could be more engaging with the students.

“I think they should make the course more interactive rather than just a lecture with a PowerPoint,” he said. “They should make activities and get students more involved.”

Garrity thinks a big challenge of Core is deciding on what to teach, given that there are only 5 hours total of Core class time for seniors.

“Life after Williston looks different for everybody; people will need to acquire different skill sets and face different challenges, and we really needed to condense a lot of information in every class,” she said.

She is excited to hear future student stories from what they gained out of Core.

“My huge dream is hearing all the stories from students connecting with alumni, someone getting an internship, someone gaining a network, someone getting a motivational idea… It’s going to be worth it,” she said.

Coach K used to teach in the history department for 20 years before he became the Dean of Students and stopped teaching classes. He just started teaching Core 12 this year.

“I enjoy working with students in this way,” he said. “It reminds me of why I got into education in the first place.”