SEQUIM — Sequim High School staff will present an inaugural junior college and career readiness symposium for all 11th-grade students from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday in the auditorium.
The goal is to prepare students for college studies or entry into the job market by encouraging them to envision all opportunities available to them now, organizers said.
“We want to empower [students] to think about how to create the future they want,” said Jennifer Van De Wege, a teacher and leadership advisor at the high school who helped organize the symposium.
The symposium is not open to the general public, but homeschooled students of the equivalent age are welcome to attend.
The idea came from a discussion with Mitzi Sanders, Sequim School District scholarship coordinator, “about how our juniors just don’t know about all this information regarding college readiness,” Van De Wege said.
“With testing requirements for college entrance, students can’t afford to wait until their senior year to begin thinking about these things,” she said.
“The junior year is academically rigorous — you add in lots of unknowns, and it creates anxiety. We are striving to alleviate some of that anxiety.”
After an introduction by Principal Shawn Langston, Sanders will provide information about available scholarships.
She also will discuss upcoming opportunities during which students can visit various colleges and attend college fairs.
Erin Fox, representing the high school’s three counselors, will discuss preparing for upcoming ACT and SAT tests.
Ann Renker, assistant superintendent, will discuss characteristics of being ready for college and career.
Each student taking part in the symposium will receive a flash drive that contains material and information correlating with the presentations and which provides additional storage capacity.
All juniors will attend the event as part of Den class.
Den class is devoted to college and career activities and occurs periodically throughout the school year.
For the 2015-16 school year, 17 Den classes are scheduled. For more information, contact the high school office at 360-582-3600.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
