While high school is known as an enjoyable time to make lasting memories, there is always the looming question of what to do after graduation. The process of preparing for post-grad life, along with making decisions for the future, can be stressful and daunting for many students. Luckily, the Camas Career Center contains extensive resources to aid students with this process.
Camas High School’s (CHS) Career Information Specialist, Sean Tamura, is available to students in the library at any time during the school day. As school counselors are often busy and bombarded with various duties, Tamura is a support person. Students can come to him with questions regarding career exploration, resume building, interview preparation, college applications, financial aid and anything else.
Tamura’s busiest season is the fall as seniors prepare to submit their college applications. There is a wide array of services available to students preparing for college. CHS senior Marilyn Green got clarification on the process for applying for financial aid, along with other general information on college admissions.
“I felt like my questions could be answered, and my anxieties were eased regarding FAFSA. [Tamura] was willing to take the time to answer my questions, and the process didn’t feel rushed,” Green said.
CHS senior Rina Patel noted that she was able to get immediate help with her college application.
“Mr. Tamura got back to me very quickly with edits on my personal statement and provided me with specific information regarding a university I was looking into attending,” Patel said.
While CHS students most highly pursue the traditional four-year college pathway, Tamura wishes more students knew about other options. The Career Center also provides resources for attending community colleges, trade schools and apprenticeship programs.
“All of these alternative pathways have free applications, along with offering a wide range of areas to study,” Tamura said.
Unfortunately, many CHS students are not aware of the options available to them. While the Career Center sends emails to student inboxes, these often get lost in the shuffle. Besides just reading the updates online, students can also learn critical updates by listening to the morning announcements or reading the information posted on the TV monitor outside of the library. These include notices on which colleges, trade schools or military branches are putting on presentations at CHS, along with dates for info nights on applying for FAFSA and more.
If students have any questions or concerns regarding post-secondary plans, they can email Tamura or meet with him. Tamura noted that it is optimal for students to begin planning with him as early as their first or second year.
“Just starting to look into things like career exploration, and figuring out what they would be interested in [is better done sooner rather than later]. That way, they’re not scrambling to do it later during junior or senior year,” Tamura said.
The Camas Career Center is a beneficial tool to bring students closer to their goals, with a wealth of knowledge and resources to help students throughout their various application processes. Instead of frantically researching the answers to college and career questions or bugging family members for information, students have the privilege of being able to stop by the library when in need of assistance.