Graduating Highland High student plans to make money first in cosmetology and then consider college
(Ava Bateman |Special to The Tribune) Highland High School senior Penelope Masotti is going to study cosmetology after graduation. She wants to first have a stable career and make money before considering college.
Note to readers • This is part of a collaborative project between The Salt Lake Tribune and the Highland High School Rambler. Read more about these young Utahns’ experience and perspective here.
As the class of 2025 prepares for the leap into life after high school, Penelope Masotti, a high school senior, is charting a less traditional course. With a passion for cosmetology and a pragmatic view of the future, she is opting for trade school, joining a growing wave of Gen Z students redefining what higher education looks like.
Masotti’s choice aligns with what experts are calling the rise of the “Toolbelt Generation,” according to a recent National Public Radio story. Faced with skyrocketing tuition costs and mounting student debt, as well as being a part of the largest graduating class ever recorded (about 3.9 million), many 2025 Gen Zer’s are opting for trade schools that offer financial relief and job stability.
“I come from a decently well-off family — like if I wanted to go to college, it wouldn’t ruin my life,” Masotti said. “But I am aware that college costs a lot of money, and from doing comparisons of local colleges, trade schools, and cosmetology schools, it just seems like a better idea to go into a trade so I can have a stable career and make money and then decide about college.”
A 2024 analysis conducted by Pew Research Center found that about a third of people ages 25-39 who have at least a bachelor’s degree and outstanding student loan debt say the benefits of their degree weren’t worth the lifetime financial costs.
Masotti’s journey into cosmetology is partly due to watching her mother work in the industry, but it isn’t just about sticking with what she knows; it’s about pursuing something she genuinely loves. Currently enrolled in a barbering class at the local community college as part of a Career and Technical Education program, she’s already gaining hands-on experience.
“I am pretty passionate about it,” Masotti said.
Taking career-training courses while in high school provides students with a much more affordable, and faster, path to the workforce than does a traditional college route.
Masotti’s story reflects a broader societal shift. According to NPR, many students believe that learning a trade offers better economic security than immediately pursuing white-collar careers. For Masotti, choosing trade school is about more than just financial practicality, it’s about taking control of her future on her own terms, rather than follow the prescribed path of high school-college-career — and a lot of debt.
“I think it’s a little silly that we’re expected to, as fresh-out-of-high-school teenagers, choose a degree that I may end up hating in the end with loads of student debt,” Masotti said.
Student loan debt in the United States totaled $1.8 trillion in 2024, according to Education Data Initiative. Tuition hikes happen almost yearly.
As Masotti prepares for graduation, she joins thousands of other young adults who are redefining what success looks like in today’s world. Whether she chooses to use this as a stepping stone toward other creative ventures or to build a lifelong career, she is part of a group proving that there are many paths to careers, and not all require expensive time on a college campus.
“This just seems like a better idea,” Masotti said.
While she’s excited about the path ahead, Masotti remains open to the possibility of pursuing a more traditional degree from a university later, when she can afford to go because of a stable income.
“If it’s a long-term career path, I think that’s great, but I’m also aware of the fact that I am doing this so I have something to fall back on if I need to,” Masotti said. “And I won’t go into debt to get there.”
Olive Grabe is a senior at Highland High School and a member of the Rambler newspaper staff.
Olive Grabe is a senior at Highland High School. She loves hanging out with friends, bouldering, and spending time outside. She is also a member of the National Honor Society and Varsity Volleyball. She moved to Utah in 2024 from Minneapolis, MN, and next year she will be attending Montana State University.