Bounding Toward Hope: Dublin Resident and DCA Alum Pens New Book
February 6, 2026
Helping Graduates Find Their Path After DCA
Not too long ago, it was generally assumed that every high school graduate would pursue higher education.
A college degree certainly does have many benefits. Students have incredible resources at their fingertips to grow intellectually and gain the necessary education as they prepare for specialized careers. College exposes students to a world that is beyond their personal context, and they develop skills that teach them to live independently and be community leaders. College is a career path we highly encourage here at DCA—but not necessarily for everyone.
Although most DCA graduates continue on to higher education, and many go to Christian colleges, there are other paths for our students looking for God’s leading after graduation. We aim to help them understand and follow God’s call on their lives. That may include something other than a four-year or advanced degree.
We are proud of alumni serving God while pursuing the trades, arts, and military and serving their families at home.
At DCA, we desire to help our graduates along their path—to help them hone their skills and embrace their God-given gifts as they prepare to enter the world as Christian men and women. Here are some ways we do just that.
Pathways: Helping Students Discover Their Path from Grade 9
Although it is critical that 11th and 12th-grade students participate in the post-graduation process, we engage our students in this way of thinking starting in grade 9.
Our Pathways Program (formally Pathways to College) gets the gears turning in the minds of our students during the first year of high school. Our 10th and 11th graders take the PSAT, and all students must take the SAT or ACT at least once before graduating from DCA. The school covers the cost of those tests the first time.
Should our graduates choose to go to college, this program gives them a great start toward heading for that path. Starting this year, 11th and 12th graders also have the opportunity to take elective courses on SAT prep to give them extra support while preparing to take these tests. In the past, we have also brought our students to a Christian college fair in Concord, NH.
For students who feel college-bound, our goal is to get them the resources and the experiences they need to empower them on their journey.
How We Step Up Services for Grades 11 and 12
As our older high school students prepare to embark on their journey into the world, we expand the range of career guidance services available to them.
Juniors and seniors, for the first time this year, will be taking an in-depth assessment—a tool designed to guide them toward considering careers based on their passions, interests, and God-given gifts and abilities. In conjunction with this new program, we will also be connecting students with DCA alumni who are already working in fields that our current students are interested in so they may be mentored in those areas.
We feel this will be particularly useful for students thinking about their path after DCA for the first time, engaging them in critical thinking about their future goals and dreams.
We will also offer seminars for juniors and seniors considering a college career geared toward developing important skills, not only applying for the colleges themselves but also applying for scholarships and financial aid to assist in attending these schools. This essential information is often overlooked, and we want our graduates to gain this valuable knowledge as well. For example, in a few weeks, a DCA alum who is a financial advisor is coming to talk to families of juniors and seniors about the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) and 529 Education Savings Accounts – this event is sponsored by DCA’s Parent Connect group.
Other Post-Graduate Possibilities
There is also a little-realized fact that high schoolers don’t often consider after graduation—they could just take a year off.
To be clear, we don’t necessarily mean taking a year off to stay at home and binge-watch movies. Instead, this time could be used to develop and strengthen one’s faith. Perhaps some of our graduates would consider taking advantage of the year to go on a mission trip or commit to a focused study of the Word at Bible school.
For graduates needing more direction, we occasionally offer a “gap-year” internship, where students can work alongside our staff as they take off an extra seminar or full year off from college or a career. During this time, they experience hands-on work, responsibility, and leadership skills in an environment they are already very used to for that post-graduation year.
Here for Our Students Wherever God May Lead Them
At DCA, we desire to nurture and encourage our students to follow the path in life that God has in store for them—we are, in fact, thrilled to be a part of this significant step in their lives.
From college to trades, military, and full-time parenting, God has a plan for all our students. We are grateful to have the resources, supportive staff, and community to help encourage our upcoming graduates to shine Jesus’ light in the world where they will venture out.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions about our career-prep programs or any other programs we offer at DCA.
Above all, we need to trust that the Lord will guide us on the path He has set before us:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
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