CAREER PLAN

The Case of Jermel: The Reluctant Postsecondary Planner

Jermel is a 17-year-old high school senior who is unsure about what to do with his life after

graduation. He is the youngest of three children and his brother and sister are both college

graduates. Jermel was adopted when he was 2 years old and grew up in a multi-racial home; he

is Black, his adoptive mother is Puerto Rican, and his adoptive father is German. His mother is a

speech pathologist at the elementary school he attended, and his father owns a struggling

garage door company. Jermel has always been interested in playing video games and reading

fantasy novels but doesn’t have a lot of friends or anyone he shares his interests with. His

parents have encouraged him to go to college, but he doesn’t want to burden his parents or

take out student loans to pay for something he is unsure about completing.

In 4th grade, Jermal was diagnosed with ADHD (combined type) and struggled in elementary and

middle school. He has done well in high school with support from his teachers and school

counselor. He doesn’t enjoy most social situations and would rather be alone than interact with

his peers. Recently, Jermel was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder after experiencing

frequent worry and panic attacks that seem to come out of nowhere. He takes medication for

his ADHD and anxiety, which seems to help him focus on completing tasks and effectively

manage his anxiety symptoms. He attends weekly counseling sessions with a licensed

professional counselor and finds his time with her somewhat of an escape from his day-to-day

stressors. He trusts his counselor who also seems to be willing to help him explore

postsecondary options, but he doesn’t know where to begin.

His parents are encouraging him to explore college options, despite his desire to “take a gap

year,” and just relax after graduation. He feels overwhelmed with the college application

process and believes his parents just want him to pick a major and move out. He completed one

college application for admission to the state college his siblings attended but did not declare a

major. Jermel’s school counselor has reached out to him a couple of times to meet about his

future plans, but he hasn’t met with him yet.