Thank you for the past four years. The time went by fast, and now it’s time to take on a new journey. As you prepare for your future, remember you have the freedom to define yourself, find your passion, and go for it. You will have failures along the way, but don’t give up; you are too important. Life is hard work; you will be surprised at your strength. Be responsible and respect yourself, others, and this world. And always believe in yourself.

Senior Final Transcript: Make sure you have completed your Graduation Survey and your Supplemental Graduation Survey. The information will be used to indicate your plans for after graduation. These surveys can be found in Naviance in the About Me tab, Surveys From Your School.

NCAA and NAIA final transcripts: If you will be playing athletics in college, final transcripts are required. Requests can be made within Naviance.

As you approach your senior year, cherish every moment possible. The fights with your friends; forgiveness, and understanding are life lessons. The feeling of passing an exam without studying; not the best strategy, but sometimes it happens. Most importantly, the hugs from your family. Don't ever think that you'll have time to do everything you want senior year because it goes by quick as lightning. Be you and have a blast this upcoming year. Don't stress out about academics too much but keep your grades up.

Forge your own path and follow your true passion, whether that includes higher education or not. No matter where you end up, you will find your niche, and you will surpass the expectations that have been placed upon you. I look forward to the next, and final year working together and helping as you plan for your future.

Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts as you look forward to your senior year. Planning now makes the new school year start smoother.

The fall semester of your senior year is your last chance to put your best foot forward on college applications. The start of the year is quite busy so preparing over the summer makes the start of the year go a lot smoother. Use the summer before your last year of high school to get ahead on your college applications. Ways to accomplish that include drafting college admissions essays, updating your resume, asking about recommendation letters, planning to retake the ACT or the ACT, researching scholarship options and touring more campuses. Here is a link to help you stay on top of the process.

It is common and even expected that parents be part of visits to their children’s prospective colleges. After all, someone needs to book the trip, be a chaperone for overnight visits, and more. But how involved should parents be in activities once everyone arrives on campus? Here is a short list of what parents should and should not do during college visits.

Summer is a good time to start working on completing the Common Application. This is one application that can be used to apply to over 900 colleges. The personal statement/essay is a part of the application. We will be working on this at the start of the year. Read these tips if you want to get a head start on the process.

Wow!! You’ll be juniors next year! Congratulations! It has been fun talking about career possibilities this year! Next year you will work with Skip as you navigate where to pursue your dreams, whether straight to a career, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, military enlistment, GAP year, certificate programs, associate's (2-year) degree, or bachelors (4-year) degree. Here is a link to our year in review! Please take some time this summer to rest, have fun, and explore!

Ms. Peters

What a great year! Thank you for your curiosity and motivation! I’m looking forward to next year when we take the results from your surveys and explore career opportunities. Stay inquisitive and look for possibilities! Here is a link to our year in review! Please take some time to rest, have fun, and explore!

Some great advice to ponder this summer:

We have all had our dreams shattered. At some point, we wanted to grow up to be the President, an astronaut, or a movie star. For those of you who achieved these dreams, kudos! But for most of us, those dreams remained just dreams. There are mainly five reasons why that happened, and Bel breaks them down in this video.

Here’s a great TedTalk with Bel Pesce: 5 Ways to Destroy Your Dreams.

Our WHY is the thing we give to the world, and we must look inside ourselves to discover it. Our closest friends can help us identify our WHY as they reflect on the space we fill in their lives.

Here's a Chat with Simon Sinek: Find Your Why.

Interested in a military academy, service academy, or ROTC? View this recorded presentation for more details about nominations, offers of appointment, admissions, commissions, and service obligations.

Writing an essay? Your story is important; develop a strong essay to grab your reader's attention. View this recorded presentation for more information.

Thinking about finding your college fit and match? View this recorded presentation for more information.

Explore the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program. WUE is an agreement among 16 member states and territories (including Colorado), through which 160+ participating public colleges and universities provide steep nonresident tuition savings for Western students. Through WUE, eligible students can choose from hundreds of undergraduate programs outside their home state and pay no more than 150 percent of that institution’s resident tuition rate.

Reciprocity & Exchange Programs are also available in other states and with other colleges. Check here for the latest details.

What does it mean to take a gap year? A gap year is a semester, year, or another set period of dedicated time "off" from traditional academics or work, and instead spent ‘on’ experiential learning, growth, travel, and adventure. Commonly, gappers will seek an enriching experience abroad, such as interning, teaching, volunteering, or learning a foreign language. Others may simply travel and see the world, or see more of their home country. A gap year is considered beneficial for several reasons — adding to your résumé, recharging your batteries to avoid academic burnout, growing both personally and professionally, and gaining life experience are a few of the major benefits. Taking a semester or year off before college can be transformative. Hear why and some available options in this recorded presentation.

One way to continue career exploration is to watch videos about different careers available. Here are some options:

• Career Videos JA
• Naviance ROADTrip Nation (log in)
• PPBEA
• CareerOneStop

Need to spend some time improving your Financial Literacy? Personal Financial Literacy Resources

Considering an Apprenticeship? Check out this one-stop source, or PPBEA.

Thinking about Certifications?

Need an Internship?

Has the pandemic derailed your work or education plans? Rise into the job or career you have always wanted. Check out these resources.

Advice from Other Teen Families

Want to improve your employability? Check out this FREE Professionalism 101 Course in PPBEA.

Back to School Checklist ALL Grade Levels

Freshman Checklist 2022-23

Sophomore Summer Checklist

Sophomore Checklist 2022-23

Junior Summer Checklist

Junior Checklist 2022-23

Senior Checklist 2022-23

Save the Date: Colleges that Change Lives College Fair – Tuesday, August 16 from 7:00-9:00 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. This fair features 44 distinctly different colleges with a student-centered mission.

SAT Practice that is free and personalized with Khan Academy begins by practicing what you may have missed on PSAT 9, or PSAT 10. For more information, click here.