Plainfield South High School provides an array of resources for students to use when searching for college and post secondary career options. In the college career center, students can research colleges and careers, apply for scholarships, attend college presentations and complete college applications. 

Nicole Ursetta is South’s college and career counselor who runs the center, helping students reach their post high school goals. 

“The college and career counselor is here to guide and assist students in their post secondary planning. It is also someone who creates and presents a curriculum for seniors to inform them of the process throughout senior year[…],” Ursetta said.

Ursetta directs those who are interested in the college and career center to room 300 on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays.

“We offer more than help with applying to college. We are here to assist students with financial aid, scholarships, resume building, job applications, college applications, career research, etc,” Ursetta said. 

There are also online resources such as Naviance that will also guide students to scholarships and colleges.

The resources do not end in South’s college and career center; outside representatives from JJC work closely with the Plainfield schools. Ava Thommen, a JJC recruitment specialist, explains her role in a student’s transition into college.

“What my job is is to help any incoming students through the admissions and enrollment process at JJC. [I] help them if they get stuck with the steps, if they need help going through the application, any general questions they have, I am here to assist with that,” Thommen explains. 

Many pathways are offered by JJC to help students get their Bachelors degree or to get into the workforce right away.

“A lot of students like this route since it saves a lot of money. You cut [the time to get] your bachelors in half,” Thommen said.

A four year college is not for everyone, and JJC takes that into consideration when providing different approaches.

“The other options are associates and applied sciences and those are our career degrees […] at the end of the two years you are required to go directly into the work field,” Thommen said.

Help is around every corner of the transition, even financially. Davon Maxey, an Illinois Student Assistance Community (ISAC) worker, gives students financial resources to lessen the debt.

“We can provide [resources], as far as from ISAC [and] anything with a secondary education […] what careers you can look into, what majors you may be interested in [and] even looking into cost,” Maxey said. 

Maxey also describes the mission statement of ISAC.

“I know the ISAC promise statement is pretty much helping students look for that secondary education and helping make college affordable,” Maxey said. 

Though the mission statement is promising to all students, Maxey reiterates his own. 

“A little bit of [my promise statement] is I was that senior in high school, and I know what it’s like to not know what to do so it’s like, let me help out,” Maxey said.

Maxey leaves another word of advice for those who are struggling with their college and career choices.

“If you don’t know what you [want to] do right now with career, school, or anything, it’s still [going to] be like that after you graduate; nobody is expecting a perfect life.”

Room 300 is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during all lunch hours for students ready to plan their future after high school.