Reilly Madrick graduated from Fossil Ridge High school in 2019. He did not pursue a four-year college right away instead, he took a leap and traveled to Hawaii. Madrick stated, “I decided to go to Hawaii because I had no motivation to continue to go to school,” He had not signed up for classes and it was towards the end of the year, so his friend reached out to him offering a job and a place to stay in Hawaii. 

“I didn’t jump into a four-year college because last year my brother dropped out of college even though he loved the school,” Madrick said. Watching his brother dropout of school made him realize maybe college may not be the right path for him out of high school.

Madrick said, “I recommend getting out of your hometown or natural environment and trying to live a new life to really figure out who you are.” He lived in Hawaii for about three months where he worked for a tree trimming company. They would get up around five in the morning and work around the island.

The most traditional thing to do when you graduate is going to college, but Madrick thinks going into a four-year college can be an intense commitment for a 17 or 18-year-old to make. “You have to figure yourself out and I think leaving your comfort zone forces you to figure yourself out,” said Madrick. This explains why Madrick moved  to Hawaii: he did not want to go straight to school and wanted to try something new in a different place.

When he got back from Hawaii, it was a big change to jump back into the life he had before. “I’m working part-time at a construction company as day labor and I’m a part-time student at Front Range Community College,” Madrick said. He is pursuing  an associate’s art degree but he is not certain which field he will be specializing in.

Madrick said that in Hawaii he “…learned that your purpose in life and your fulfillment are usually right in front of you. It just takes getting away to figure it out. Perspective is important to one’s life and that’s what helps me understand myself more and more”.