The College Career Center (room 107) is open to all students during lunch and study hall periods year-round to help students plan for life after high school, as well as facilitate the college application process, college preparation, and host college visits.

No pass is needed to go to the center; however, students must bring their school I.D.

Counselor Sarah Arnold said, “Students can come in here [the college career center] and just work independently on their college applications or on something related to that, but then there’s also a counselor here to answer any questions that might come up while they’re working.”

“We have college representatives who come to talk to students. It’s really just kind of one hub where students can get the answers to whatever questions they may have through the college application process,” Arnold said.

The seven counselors take turns running the college career center.

“We’re here for whatever comes up,” Arnold said.

Senior Miles Griffin said, “It’s accessible because I don’t really have time at home, so it helps me get things done that I need to do during my school day when I’m more focused.”

The college career center utilizes a program called Naviance to help students through the college application process.

“Naviance is a career and college research program. Students are able to take some assessments with regard to strengths that they have, career clusters, career finders. They are able to create resumes through [Naviance] and search for different types of colleges that may be a good fit for them. They also, senior year, will request transcripts and letters of recommendation through Naviance,” Counselor Michel Pawlak said.

Some students said Naviance helps them in multiple ways.

Griffin said, “It really just helps me stay organized and helps me by connecting with common app because then all my information is shared between them, so I don’t have to write everything twice.”

“It makes it easier to communicate with colleges and get all the information,” senior Christian Brown said.

The college career center also offers guidance.

“In the past, [the group guidance piece] focused mostly on college, and so were trying to target students who are planning on entering the trades, the military, or the workforce. We had a career fair last year for the first time that we’ll be continuing, trying to stem off that and have more career focused guidance,” Arnold said.

“The college application process and post-secondary planning, it all really is a process. It’s not meant to be stressed over. School counselors are here to help. I can’t stress enough that the college career center in room 107 is a benefit,” Pawlak said.