O'Plaine College & Career News

This semester is all about you, Freshmen & Sophomores! In this issue you will find many post-secondary Spring events and opportunities, including:

• Freshmen Post-Secondary Night on Thursday, 2/27
• HBCU Spring Break Tour Info Session on 3/5
• Scholarship Workshop on 3/7
• Yo Soy Parkside on 4/5
• Testing Info
• Military Opportunities
• College Fairs and Open Houses
• College Reps Visiting O'Plaine
• Career Expos
• Leadership Conference
• Juneteenth Celebration & Scholarship Opportunity
• & More!

See details for these opportunities and more below. I welcome students to stop by the College and Career Center in Room 258 to meet with me during their lunch study hall (no pass needed). You can also email me to make an appointment. It's not too early to start planning for your future. I hope you take full advantage of these awesome upcoming events and opportunities!

Freshmen…Unsure of what you want to do after high school? Are you overwhelmed by the thought of it? It's not too early to begin your exploration process! Start NOW by attending this beneficial presentation THIS Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 pm in the O’Plaine Auditorium. Post-secondary options and helpful resources will be discussed so you can feel confident about your next steps and shine your light bright upon graduation! The evening will also include a panel of WTHS Seniors who will answer your questions and share tangible tips and advice on balancing high school while planning for the future. All current WTHS freshmen and their parents are highly encouraged to attend. Hope to see you there!

Get more info from a variety of colleges from the comfort of your own home! Attending an online college fair is a great way to learn more about specific colleges (especially those that are not as easy to get to) and the college search process. West and Midwest colleges will be in attendance from Feb. 24 - Mar. 1. South and North East colleges will be in attendance from April 7 - 12. This is a FREE event. Click here for more info (like format and colleges attending) and to register.

While many students head directly to college after graduating from high school, a smaller cohort chooses an alternative: a gap year. Westcoast Connection offers teen tours, pre-college programs, career experiences, and volunteer programs for high school students around the world. They have 70+ programs available for high school providing over 47,000 teen travelers with their summer of a lifetime. Their Mission is to create life-changing experiences that teens remember as the best of their lives. They focus on creating safe, fun, and socially comfortable environments where teens are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones, explore the world around them, make lasting new friendships and grow. Whether you want to Travel, Learn, or Volunteer, they offer something for everyone. Join their webinar on Wed. 2/26 at 12 pm or 6 pm for more info. Register here for the webinar.

• Tues., 3/4 at 1 pm: Everything to Know About the New ACT Webinar
• Sun., 3/23 at 5 pm: ACT Workshop
• Thurs., 3/24 at 6 pm: Navigating College Admission Tests Webinar

Warren Newport Library Card holders can take a Practice ACT or SAT Test on Saturday, March 1 at 9:30 am. The test is proctored and offered through Huntington Learning Center. Test results will be provided Monday, March 3rd. Visit their website to register.

The PreACT for all WTHS Freshmen and Sophomores is April 10 during the school day at WTHS. More information is forthcoming about the test and details for test day.

Waukegan Township is hosting an HBCU College Tour this Spring Break. If interested, you are strongly encouraged to attend an info session with a parent on March 5 from 5:00 - 6:00 pm at the Patricia A. Jones Office (414 S. Lewis Ave. in Waukegan). Applications & payments are due in-person by early March! Click here for additional information.

Want info on how to pay for college and your post-secondary plans? Did you know that you don't have to be a senior to start applying for scholarships? All freshman and sophomores are invited to our scholarship workshop FRIDAY, MARCH 7 during your lunch study hall in the Library. Traveling Band students can attend the first part of 7th (feel free to bring your lunch up with you)! Interested students should report straight to the Library at the start of their lunch study hall and come prepared with their charged Chromebook! Attendance will be taken. Hope to see you there!

National Hispanic College Fairs and the Career Council are hosting a FREE college fair on March 11, 2025 from 9:15 - 10:55 am at Waukegan High School’s Brookside Campus. We will be taking interested WTHS 10th – 12th graders on a field trip to the fair so they can visit with over 50 colleges and universities. Students will have the ability to ask college reps questions and get more info from colleges on their admission requirements, academic programs, student and campus life, financial aid, athletics and more! Students will receive a list of questions they can ask when talking to the colleges, they will also receive a free bag to carry any materials they receive from the colleges. Excellent security is provided by the fair. Space is limited and is first come, first served. Additional details for those attending are forthcoming. Interested students should check the bulletin/announcements for updates or can stop by to see Ms. Hartley in Rm 258.

Attention Engineering Students: U of I's annual Engineering Open House is April 4-5. This popular event is organized by U of I's Engineering students and draws crowds of estimated 20,000 - 35,000, including students, teachers, parents and families. There is an exhibit for every major this year. Ranging from robotic hands, solar cars and a coffee-serving robot to an oobleck pool and DIY plastic, there is something for everyone to experience engineering. Additionally you can expect special events like a Tesla coil concert, a startup showcase, prospective student panels and more! Click here for more info.

The Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) is proud to offer the Illinois National College Fair (INCF)! The South Suburbs will host a college fair that brings in 200+ colleges and universities from across the globe to meet with our students.

When: April 5, 2025, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Where: Moraine Valley Community College

FREE!

Register at www.strivefair.com and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of two $500 scholarships!

April is community college month, and CLC is pulling out all the stops! Students and families are invited to CLC's Open House on April 12 anytime from 9 am - 1 pm at any of their five locations (Grayslake, Vernon Hills, Waukegan, Advanced Technology Center in Gurnee and Prairie Restaurant at Brae Loch in Grayslake). Community colleges offer opportunities for students at all stages of their academic journey. Some such opportunities include providing:

• Cost-effective pathways to higher education, and minimizing student debt as a result
  
• Diverse academic, vocational and technical programs, catering to different interests and career paths
• Guaranteed transfer opportunities - community Colleges can act as a stepping stone to four-year universities and specialized programs. Click here to see the colleges with whom CLC has guaranteed transfer agreements
• Support services and resources, from academic tutoring to career guidance and mental health support
• Career Readiness - community colleges are uniquely positioned to equip students with in-demand skills for today’s job market
• Click here for more info and to register

College representatives are coming in-person to O'Plaine this semester, and they want to meet with you! Learn more info about schools' majors, admission requirements, student life, housing, tuition, financial aid and more. All college rep visits are held in the College & Career Center (Room 258). See the growing list of schools coming and register in SchooLinks. Students must get a college visit pass signed by the teacher of the class they’ll miss, at least 24 hours prior to the visit. The signed pass serves as your pass to attend and gives you the opportunity to ask for any missed work, for which you’re still responsible. Passes are available to print here, in the main office and in the College & Career Center. Three college visits per semester are allowed. See Ms. Hartley with any questions.

Tuesday, March 4

• Period 3: Lake Forest College
• Period 5: Northern Illinois University
• Period 7: Illinois Wesleyan University

Thursday, March 6

• Period 4: Illinois State University

Tuesday, March 11

• Period 5: Augustana College

Thursday, March 13

• Period 7: DePaul University
  

**See SchooLinks for full schedule

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (or RYLA) is a not-for-profit program for high school freshmen - seniors. As a participant, students will work with other talented young people from surrounding communities. RYLA emphasize leadership skills, personal development, and citizenship. RYLA goes to great lengths to make sure the three day weekend is fun and recreational as well as educational for all involved. Click links below for additional information and learn more about this all-expense-paid, 3-day event sponsored by the Gurnee Rotary Club!

Brochure

Application

Agenda and page 2

Students who took the ASVAB on February 1 can pick up their scores at the score interpretation session after school on Wednesday, Feb 26. If you took the Feb. 1 ASVAB at Almond, plan to meet at 3:15 p.m. in the O’Plaine College & Career Center. The session will last 45 minutes max. Contact Mrs. Hartley at O’Plaine with any questions or if you are unable to attend.

You are invited to exhibit at the 5th annual Maker Faire Lake County event on April 12 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Grayslake Campus. You can participate by either having a booth where you can promote your organization and some aspect of “making” or by having members assist as volunteers. If you have a booth, we ask that you have someone who can actively show and explain how your project was created and the technology involved. Better yet, consider how to give the attendees a hands-on experience. In 2024, the event was attended by over 1200 community members of all ages. Apply Now to complete the application for a booth. The event is free for both the exhibitors and the attendees. The deadline to apply is March 15. Apply now to ensure you have a spot. Interested in getting involved by volunteering? Click here to access the volunteer portal. We have a variety of opportunities available to you or your team.

Share this invitation with any other organizations or individual Makers that you may know. We are very excited about hosting this event for all of Lake County on campus and look forward to a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness.

Our annual Career Expo is on April 25 in the O’Plaine Main Gym during periods 3-7. Meet with over 100 industry professionals to learn more about career options and maybe even land a summer job or internship! All students will attend during their lunch study hall that day and band students can attend the first part of 7th. Regardless of where you’re at in your career exploration process, this is a great opportunity to network and get helpful resources. See you there, Blue Devils!

Together for Nature / Juntos para la Naturaleza is an organization committed to developing and implementing community-driven activities, events, and paid programs that advance the sustainability of our northeastern IL communities in an equitable manner. You are invited to attend their Youth for Sustainability monthly community meetings happening every fourth Monday from 6:30 to 7:15 pm on Zoom. These sessions will be focused on connecting and educating youth over topics and efforts related to sustainability, environmental justice, conservation, equity, and related topics. Participants can sign up at bit.ly/youth4sustainability.

Seeds of Fortune offers innovative programs designed to empower and guide high school students in exploring entrepreneurship and cutting-edge research. Discover how Seeds of Fortune fosters a supportive environment for young women of color to thrive, connect with like-minded peers, and gain valuable skills. Whether you're passionate about launching your business venture or diving into research that can change the world, Seeds of Fortune has a program for you. Don't miss this chance to explore opportunities that go beyond the ordinary and shape your future. Register for an info session (March 20 or April 17) here if you would like more information.

For students interested in learning more about the U.S. Military, representatives from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force will be in the Cafeteria during all lunch periods on the days listed on the below thumbnails. Stop by their table to ask questions or receive additional information!

Summer STEM at the Naval Academy is a vibrant week of problem-solving, exploratory learning, critical thinking and team building for students interested in a future in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Click here for more info and to apply. Current 8th - 10th graders can apply for this program.

Use some time this summer strategically and engage in things that can help bolster your future resume and/or college applications. See below list for some ideas on having a productive summer!

• Many colleges and universities (like Northwestern, UW - Madison, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Stanford, Harvard Medical School, Brown, etc.) often have summer enrichment programs for high school students. Some offer a variety in modes of instruction (some on-line) and vary in cost (some free). Click here for lists of other summer pre-college programs!
• Get a job! Gurnee Park District, Great Wolf Lodge and Six Flags are known to hire WTHS students, even if you're not yet 16. Click here for a list of other local opportunities and info on obtaining a work permit.
• Volunteer

• Explore apprenticeship/internship opportunities (see SchoolLinks)
• Test Prep (see links above)
• Visit college campuses and begin building your college list
  • Include a mix of Reach, Target, Safety Schools
• Search for scholarships (attend the Scholarship Workshop on 3/7 to get more resources! See workshop details above)

November 20, 2024

October 17, 2024

October 1, 2024
September 15, 2024

September 5, 2024

Ms. Trini Hartley
O'Plaine Post-Secondary Counselor

e: thartley@wths.net

p: 847-599-4532

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