With first semester coming to a close, the college application process is well underway for seniors at Niles High School.

At the same time, many students are actively involved in preparing for other post-secondary options, including trade school, technical programs and military careers. Regardless of what our seniors decide to pursue after graduation, I rest easy knowing they are well-prepared for what comes next.

Junior and senior years are recognizably the busiest times for students thinking about their career path. However, students’ educational development plans, which help them begin the process of planning for the future, are actually created when they’re in seventh grade.

From that point on, counselors and teachers alike work to help students think about their areas of interest, as well as what classes and grades they will need to pursue those interests.

In our college and career center, also known as the Cyber Café, junior and senior students are invited to stop by at breakfast or lunchtime to access resources and learn about their options. Jenny Freeze, our college and career readiness counselor, and Lisa Busby, instructional assistant, use the time to get to know our students and their hopes for the future.

The team has been hard at work taking students on college visits to Ferris State, Southwestern Michigan College, Lake Michigan College and more. They also host a College Application Day every fall, featuring college admissions representatives, career technical education program liaisons and military recruiters. This year, our counselors were pleased to see 130 students on College Application Day alone, many of whom had a good sense of what they wanted to pursue.

In Niles, we benefit from strong career technical training available to students. Through programs in medicine, welding, graphic arts and agricultural science, many of our students are already well on their way to careers in a fast-growing field by the time they graduate.

As we know, one of the primary barriers to post-secondary school is the increasing cost of tuition. As such, Niles staff makes sure our students are familiar with the financial aid options available to them. Increasingly, our students are well-informed and incredibly active in the financial aid process, understanding it may be critical to pursuing their dreams.

At the same time, community organizations provide incredible support to our students. In January, many post-secondary scholarships will become available, helping lessen the burden of cost on our students and families. For that generosity, I’m grateful.

It’s an exciting time of year for our Niles senior class, that will go on to achieve great things here at home and across the globe. Wherever they end up, I hope they will take the love of learning they developed at Niles Community Schools with them.

Dr. Dan Applegate is superintendent at Niles Community Schools.