It’s that time of the year when grade 12 students in Moose Jaw are thinking about their life after high school, whether it’s post-secondary education, the workforce, or travelling.  

For some, that decision could be a scary one, as it’s hard to decide in a four-year span what avenue they want to take.  

Tammy Saylor is a counsellor at Central Collegiate and says that they start performing career testing with students when they’re in grades 9 and 10.  

“This allows students to get an idea of what’s out there, what they can be, and their skills, and talents,” says Saylor.  

The staff gets more in-depth with students in grade 11 and then really dives into the subject in grade 12.  

“In grade 12 we have classroom presentations and Zoom meetings with them, adds Saylor. “We have a career assignment that they do so they can get involved with their post-secondary education planning. A lot of them don’t know what’s all involved with costs, residency, applying, student resources, and what’s it like living at university.” 

Central Collegiate will assist with university terminologies such as what are a Bachelor, Master, or Undergraduate Degree and the difference between the three.  

Grade 12 students will also have a one-on-one interview with a counsellor and will go over a number of topics.  

“We will do a credit check and make sure they’re graduating with the right credits. A lot of the time kids don’t realize that they might be missing a Social Science or a practicum Applied Art, and if we catch it at that interview, we still have time to make up for it in the second semester.” 

“We check their post-secondary requirements. We talk about jobs, where they can travel, and if they want to volunteer for a year, we go through whether they need SATs, and their graduation plans, measure their grad gowns and teach them how to order their official documents. We cover a lot of stuff in that interview.” 

School counsellor, Kerri Binetruy says that the staff like to meet with the grade 12 students at least once, but most have several interviews following, including their families.  

These interviews are also a time for students to ask the counsellors questions about life after high school.  

“Do I need this? Do I need that? What do I need to do this? Those are the most common questions. We have a lot of kids that will start working with us in grade 9. The more they work with us, the more prepared they are in grade 12 to make those final plans. I always remind kids that you’re only 17 or 18 – you don’t have to know what you’re going to be, it’s okay if you’re not ready.” 

If students don’t know which avenue they want to go down, there is always the option of a gap year, which allows them more time to make those final decisions. 

Binetruy says that a gap year is a more welcoming idea for those students that are unsure, due to the COVID-19 pandemic taking away some of their high school experience.  

“They may just need that little bit of extra time to find their way and figure out where they want to be,” explains Binetruy. “And even do some more exploring before they make the decision of what program they want to follow through on. It really depends on the individual and their family.” 

For those that are unsure of their next step and maybe don’t want to take a gap year, Saylor recommends taking more career testing.  

“The more you do, the more we can take a look at it, and analyze it. Then at least we can say this is the field that you’re geared for.” 

If that doesn’t turn your fancy, there is one other option Saylor recommends, which is going to university, getting into arts or sciences, and that will allow you time to find your passion while being at school.  

Most of the grade 12 students that walk through Saylor's door are prepared in some way or have a plan in place for their next steps following graduation whether it's post-secondary education, travelling, the workforce, or a gap year. 

Saylor believes that once students start exploring their options, they will be able to find their passion.