Adam Holze took the less-beaten path to high school graduation, and it worked out perfectly for him.

Holze is one of 13 seniors expected to graduate from Truman High School on July 2. He began attending Truman in the middle of his junior year because he was behind in credits, and the alternative program at Truman allowed him to catch up faster.

“I made poor choices my freshman and sophomore year,” Holze said, explaining how he fell behind. “I just wasn’t doing work. I was just screwing around.”

As a junior at Decatur High School, Holze reflected on his past choices and his future plans, then decided to make a change.

“A GED wasn’t good enough for me,” he said.

At Truman, Holze said he was allowed to work at a much faster pace to complete the work where he had fallen behind so he could graduate on time. He also became more motivated to learn because of his individualized education.

“I’ve seen math in a totally different way,” he said.

Holze dreams of someday owning his own auto shop and building custom and high-performance cars. Last year, teachers at Truman helped him score an internship at Pacific Raceways in Kent, which led to a part-time position there.

“I’ve made a lot of connections networking. I’ve met a lot of people in the industry,” he said.

After he graduates, Holze plans to enjoy the summer before attending United States Navy boot camp in August. He plans to serve four years of active duty before attending a technical college to pursue his passion for custom car fabrication.

Holze said he has known he would join the military since Sept. 11, 2001.

“I’m a very patriotic person. I love my country,” he said.

The military will help Holze smoothly transition into adulthood, he said. He looks forward to not immediately worrying about finding housing or feeding himself on a minimum wage job when he moves out.

“I still have responsibilities, I’m still out on my own,” he said of the military. “But you’re not fully supporting yourself, there’s things you don’t have to worry about.”

In the Navy, Holze will learn the skills to be a diesel mechanic if he chooses to pursue that when he completes active duty.

“It’s something for me to fall back on in the civilian world,” he said.

Holze said he is not concerned about the rigors of boot camp. He noted that the Navy boot camp focuses on academic training as well as the physical.

“Yes, it’s going to be physically demanding, more than I’m used to,” he said. “But I’m not worried about it at all.”

Holze said that as a mechanic in the Navy, he is unlikely to see combat in Iraq — but if he is sent there, he will be prepared.

Contact Margo Hoffman: mhoffman@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565.