WASHINGTON, N.C. (WNCT) – Washington High School celebrated seniors with its inaugural “What’s Your E?” event on Wednesday.

School officials said the event celebrated the multiple paths students take after graduation such as enrollment, enlistment and employment.

“They’ve worked hard to get to this point. Their success is because of their teachers and their families working together, but they’ve earned it, they’ve earned this step in their journey,” Washington High School Principal Jeff Sauls said.

Some students said they were enrolling in further education.

“We’re all the way through 12th grade, finish it out, so I mean I could do a few more years,” said senior Conner Flowers.

Some students said they are enlisting.

“I’ll be enlisting in the United States Army Reserves as a military police officer,” said senior Ross Jones.

Some students already have employment right out of school.

“It feels pretty great. I honestly didn’t know I would get here. My mom, she was always like ‘You’re going to be great, you’re going to do great,’ but I really didn’t have that confidence in myself until now,” said Dee-Dee Paige, a senior who is both employed and enrolled.

Many of the students said they were going after their dreams.

“For me, since I was a little kid, I knew what I was going to go for, major in, I was going to major in nursing and pursue my dream,” Student Ashley Alvarez said.

Sauls said he had 186 seniors graduating, and added the future is bright for each and every one of them.

“Seventy percent will pursue either a two- or a four-year college, most of those folks will stay right here in either Beaufort County or go to East Carolina,” Sauls said. “They’re going to stay home, they’re going to stay local. About 20 percent will enter the workforce and go to college in some variation of that, and we have five students enlisting in the armed services,” Sauls said.