CHS counselors spent several weeks at the beginning of the school year going from classroom to classroom talking to seniors about their plans after finishing high school. 

As a senior, I feel as though this has sparked a sense of urgency to take new steps in preparing for life after high school and the realization that we are in our last strides of doing so. 

Around this time, seniors are applying to colleges or internships, making sure they have enough credits to graduate, asking for recommendations, figuring out finances, and looking for their perfect path to take once high school ends. 

The key takeaway I got from the counselor visits was this: the sooner, the better. 

On the college pathway, things take off very quickly. There are essays, scholarships, and applications, all with deadlines that pass before students know it.  

Even when college is not for you, time is still not forgiving. Creating resumes, applying to internships, preparing for interviews, talking to recruiters, taking the ASVAB, and reaching out to employers are all things that need preparation and time to do, making it much more opportune to work on these things while still in high school, where there are countless opportunities to ask for help. 

Ms. Jessica Pont was one of the CHS guidance counselors who met with seniors.  

“In our senior meetings, we had two goals: the first was to make sure that students knew what requirements, like classes they had to pass, service learning, and state testing, they had to meet this year to graduate in June. Our second goal was to be sure that students were starting to plan for what they hope to do after they graduate.” said Ms. Ponti. 

As seniors begin to decide what life after high school is going to look like, they would need many of the resources the CHS counselors have to offer. “No matter what path a student chooses, a lot of the steps are the same, like sending a transcript, doing an application, or sending a resume. It is important that all seniors know this information.” said Ms. Ponti. 

This year, we have a career counselor, Ms. Mary Boyle, so students can make appointments and meet with her if they want to get organized and ready for the next step of their career. “Once you get organized, your stress levels will (hopefully!) go down!” -Ms. Ponti