"Hi. My name is Angela and I went to the University of New Hampshire and studied mass communications and English. While at UNH I did a lot of volunteer work in the community and started tutoring children who lived in a group home. It was while spending time at the group home that I developed a passion for working with young children and teens in foster care. I started taking classes in psychology and social work and found that I really enjoyed these subjects. It was then that I realized that I could combine my passion for working in the community and my love of social work to set a career and educational goal of becoming a therapist. Once I realized that I wanted to become a therapist I knew that I needed to go to more school after college to reach my goal. When I graduated UNH I received a Bachelor's degree. And while I had completed four years of college, I needed to go to graduate school to become a therapist. In order to receive the necessary qualifications to become a therapist I needed to study social work for another two years to get what is called my Master's degree. I received my Master's degree, or MSW, from Rutgers University in New Jersey. So in total I attended six years of college in order to reach my goal. Although this seems like a lot of school it was worth it for me to have the career I always wanted. Once I became a therapist I focused on working with teens and their families. I enjoyed combining my love of volunteering and working in the community with my interest in psychology and social work. You may not know exactly what you want to do when you grow up and that's okay. In college take every opportunity to volunteer to do things you love and then find a way to blend those things with what you are studying. You too can find a career that you love."

"College was the best experience I have ever had. I made many lifelong friends and gained a great education."

"Hello. My name is Karen and I'm one of the college counselors at the center for college planning. I enjoy helping students to understand and navigate the college admissions and financial aid process. This year I'm also the parent of a high school senior. One thing that I've learned over the years and especially now that I'm helping my daughter to navigate the college process, is that it's never too early to plan for an education beyond high school. So what can you do now that can help you when it comes time to apply to college? First, you can study hard and challenge yourself academically. Colleges are interested in students who will be successful in their college classes. The most successful students are those who challenge themselves in middle and high school. The classes you take now set you up for the classes you will take in high school so don't wait to start challenging yourself. The second thing you can do to prepare yourself for college is to get involved with a school activity: a sport, dance or some other club or organization. College students have a very different schedule than middle or high school students. Some college students only have classes three days a week. That means they have more free time to get involved with school activities. If you get involved with something that interests you now you'll be able to continue your activities through college. A bonus of getting involved is that college admission offices are very interested in students that have some sort of activity outside of the classroom. Best of luck to you as you prepare for your own college journey."

"I believe that an education is one of the most valuable gifts someone can give to themselves and to their children. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving."