Of the original Class of 2026, only about 65% are actually graduating from Park High School. We reached out to six students who were not part of that 65% to learn what they are doing now and gain insight into where life has taken them. Those former students include Isabella Ferguson, Dawson Glockner, Matthew Rustad, Camden Fenton, Kenzie Thorpe, and Carolyn George formerly Jones. Some of them moved away, entered the workforce, pursued alternative education, or faced personal challenges that changed their plans.
Former students Isabella Ferguson and Dawson Glockner both said their decision to leave Park High School came from wanting a healthier and more supportive environment. For Ferguson, switching to online school gave her the chance to focus more on herself, her goals, and becoming more independent. “I left the school because it felt like a toxic environment, and not exactly the education I wanted for myself and I do not have a single regret at all,” she said. Glockner’s move to Minnesota was motivated by a need to be closer to family and old friends while working through personal struggles and trying to find more stability. Even after leaving Livingston, he still looks back positively and cherishes many memories from Park High, especially classes and teachers that made school fun and memorable, as well as the memories he made with his friends, “but I don’t feel like I could’ve made it another year staying in Livingston,”he said.
Overall, both students said leaving helped them take more control of their futures and grow as people. While neither regrets their decision, they encourage students thinking about leaving school to make sure they choose a path and environment where they truly feel supported and motivated. Ferguson plans to take a gap year before college, while Glockner hopes to attend Minnesota State University, Mankato and study anthropology.
A different pathway was taken by former student, Matthew Rustad. He initially left school because he felt disconnected from the learning, partially because he did not want to learn. Rustad said that the hardest part was actually dropping out due to the adults who saw it as a bad idea and told him no, but he knew it was the right choice at the time, even getting his GED a week later. Rustad spent a year and a half in the workforce until he realized that he wanted to continue his education and pursue a different path. Upon going to college at the University of Montana, he wishes that he would have listened to all the people who were trying to explain the importance of school. If Rustad could go back in time and talk to his younger self, he would try to convince himself to pay attention and that taking the time to learn is crucial. Regardless, he does not regret his decision because he has matured through new experiences, met new people, and discovered his long-term goals. His long-term goals are to finish his bachelor’s degree in psychology, then move onto law school so that he can become a lawyer “standing up for what is right.” Rustad will be back in town this summer, and will also get to see his class’s graduation. “I feel proud of them all for being so strong and sticking it out, even though I could not,” he wrote.
