As senior year begins, the pressure of getting accepted to universities is on most shoulders, but some have opted for the more non-traditional route: to not attend. As far as seniors Tyler Eakin and Abraham Khan are concerned, college is not a priority.

“I want to be a Loadmaster in the Air Force, which basically means I’ll be getting to kick stuff out of the backs of airplanes,” Eakin said.

Eakin’s aspiration to serve in the military came from his experiences of seeing his father work in other countries.

“I’ve been to other countries on vacation I guess,” Eakin said. “I wasn’t an exchange student, but I’ve been with my dad while he’s on work. He’s a business/IT guy. He’s been to other countries for work, setting up networks after [hurricanes].”

Eakin’s plan is to eventually become a Loadmaster, but his immediate plan is to make a living in Texas by getting a job immediately after high school.

“The plan right now is that I might stay here a year after high school, try to live here, get a job, and then join the Air Force,” Eakin said. “I want to go into the Air Force, because I’ve been to other countries; I’ve seen how they live, and I want to fight to protect what we have here.”

Likewise, Khan has his parents to thank for some of his inspiration. Combining his parent’s experience with his own dream, he says he’s excited for what’s next in his future.

“My parents have been in [the fashion business] so I’m going to put my skills with theirs,” Khan said. “I’m going into men’s fashion, the whole minimalistic, modern, hipster clothing line thing.”

Khan says his clothing line is a collaborative effort between him and senior Imam Butt, with shirts and pants geared for both everyday and formal occasions. The color scheme is based off the RGB color model, plus black and white.

“Our line, Lucid, is catered toward, like, the modern young adult that’s fashionable but not too overdone,” Khan said. “It could be casual but also formal. It’s all very minimal, so the basis is all black and white and then it’s splashed with like reds and greens and blues. There’s a little bit of other stuff mixed in, but that’s mostly the color pallette.”

Unlike Eakin’s plans to take a year off, Khan is in the process of making this a reality right now.

“Lucid is happening as we speak,” Khan said. “There’s a bunch of sweaty men making our clothing right now, like as we’re having this conversation.”

Khan attributes Lucid’s quick start to his father, but the hopeful success to himself and Butt.

“It’s just me and Imam, with my dad sort of functioning as our manufacturer right now,” Khan said. “Me and Imam are the artists more or less, but [my dad is] the one that can get it done. So, we send him with all the designs and stuff and tell him that we need this, this, and this, and he’s in Pakistan right now where the shop is. Our stuff should be available next month.”