At the end of the summer,  District 225 lost incoming senior Alen Khoma from an apparent drug overdose. Khoma was at a Mos Def/STS9 concert at the Aragon Ballroom Aug. 21 when Chicago Fire Department officials took the teen to Weiss after he started "suffering from seizures that may have been drug-induced," police News Affairs Officer Ron Gaines said in a CBS local report. 

"It's a tragedy whenever it happens to any child," said Robert Boron, district 225 school board vice president.

Khoma's death has been a catalyst for some students, teachers and parents to consider whether local high schoolers are prepared as they transition to college.

At a recent school board meeting, Boron shared sentiments from his own son Brian, a freshman at the University of Iowa and a Glenbrook North graduate. "Glenbrook schools teach you how to get into good colleges but [a lot of times] not what to do when you get there," Brian said.

After high school graduation in June, a new batch of students will fly the coop and pursue their next endeavor. Academically, the region's schools are known for their ability to prepare students to attend some of the best college's in the country. But how prepared are those students to handle the serious challenges of drugs, alcohol and transitioning to the adult world outside of the classroom?

Inside the Classroom

One class, called "Psychology of Living," is attempting to address this question.

Taught by teachers Kelli McDonald at Glenbrook South and Kim Petty at Glenbrook North, the class has been offered for 13 years and covers topics ranging from how to cope after being raped to learning the process of organizing a funeral.

One of the best ways to reach students is to figuratively hit them in the face with information, forcing them to confront issues head-on, explained Petty.

"We just think that if we bury our heads in the sand these things aren't going to happen to us," she said. "If it doesn't affect [students] specifically it's like it doesn't occur and that's just not the case."

From the student perspective, the class provides lessons not found in a text book, according to Glenbrook North senior Marisa Wetzel.

"You learn about stuff that goes beyond what we learn just in high school," she said. "If you don't experience anything in high school then in college you're going to be totally lost."

Students in the class took an anonymous questionnaire at the beginning of the school year and responses showed that nearly all had dealt with some form of the issues covered by the course. McDonald and Petty acknowledge that some of the topics, like sex, are issues that students may feel uncomfortable discussing with adults. But, both say the class helps to open the lines of communication with parents.

"It's almost like a therapy session," McDonald said.

Nancy Bloom, executive director of Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook said the issues "Psychology of Living" covers are just as difficult for parents to deal with as they are for young adults. Parents often fear their children will make bad decisions, she explained. But making poor decisions, rebelling and having to live with the results is all part of growing up, she said.

"We raise our kids the best we can and we keep our fingers crossed and hope it all turns out well," said Bloom. "For most of us it does work out but it's a scary time."

Out in the World

For many high schoolers, the true life lessons come from real-life tragedies.

Glenbrook North graduate Jeffrey Weisberg lost two friends during a two-year span— one was killed as a passenger in a drunk driving accident and the other fell through a glass roof while intoxicated— and the experience served as a wake-up call, he said.

"Reality never sinks in until somebody has an accident," said Weisberg. "It makes you realize you're not invincible. These deaths were a tragic loss but it also prepared me and my friends for life after high school."

Now a junior and sports management major at the University of Kansas, Weisberg said he faces campus drug and alcohol use on a regular basis, but feels equipped to make good choices.

"It's all about having a steady balance of school life and partying," he said.

Weisberg also noted the dangers of the college partying culture, reflecting on his own misadventures at college.

"You really walk a fine line," he said. "Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't."

Making the Transition

One thing is for sure— growing up is hard to do. And critical life lessons are not wrapped up neatly in an hour-long after school special, or even in a single course about life skills. But at least it's a start, Wetzel said.

As she prepares to head off for college next year, she feels what she's learned in high school will help her in difficult situations in college and beyond.

"If [students] are not forced to learn some serious stuff in high school then they're not going to have the greatest foundation to make the best decisions."