The morning after graduation is quieter than anyone expects.

No advisor schedules a meeting. No orientation packet arrives. Just a kid at home, a family holding their breath, and a season that can either build something real - or quietly slip into drift.

This guide was written to prevent exactly that.

We are Jon and Angela Stoyak. We have five kids navigating life after high school in real time. One earned her TEFL certification and is currently in her second season of the Disney College Program - and heads to Spain this fall to teach English abroad. One is finishing his electrician certification at community college this spring, then heading to Yellowstone National Park this summer through their college hire program. Another is running his own local side business, using AI tools to manage it and set up his listings. None of them followed the default path. All of them have a plan.

WHAT'S INSIDE:

The Post High School Plan is built around three pillars - Skill & Education, Savings & Financial Foundation, and Real-World Experience. Plus a dedicated AI literacy section, because AI fluency is now the skill beneath every other skill.

NINE FILL-IN WORKSHEETS:

• Reset Reflection: Where Are We Now?
• Our Family Agreement
• My Skill Evaluation Worksheet
• My Entrepreneurship Brainstorm
• My 12-Month Skill Roadmap
• My Financial Baseline
• Financial Snapshot Before Moving Forward
• My Experience Year Plan
• Experience Audit

WHO THIS IS FOR:

Families whose young adult just graduated with no clear next step. Kids living at home who need structure instead of drift. Families considering alternatives to a four-year degree. Anyone who wants to make the next year deliberate instead of default.

This is not an anti-college guide. It is pro-intention - whatever direction your family chooses, this plan makes it deliberate.

WHAT YOU WALK AWAY WITH: A complete 12-month framework starting the day after graduationNine worksheets designed to be used with your young adultA Family Agreement to align expectations before drift beginsReal career paths and entry strategies schools never teachAn AI appendix with real prompts they can use tonightThe confidence that comes from having an actual plan 123 pages. Nine worksheets. A complete framework for the year that shapes everything.

ABOUT CUT RIVER FARM:

We're not traditional farmers. Cut River Farm is named after the Cut River in Northern Michigan - a place that means something to our family. We create practical guides for families navigating life after high school, built entirely from our own real experiences. Not theory. Not generic advice. What actually works.

• Jon & Angela Stoyak

Cut River Farm Northern Michigan thecutriverfarm.com