Between looking for a college or trying to find a job after high school, senior year can be a struggle for many students. Many seniors feel crushed under this massive pressure to plan their future without having a good idea of what to do or where to look. The Grady College and Career Center, however, helps seniors to alleviate this stress that goes along with deciding on their future plans.

“The Grady CCC is available to provide support and guidance to Grady students as they consider their plans after Grady, whether college, career or otherwise,” Anna Winer, manager of the CCC, said.

The CCC consists mostly of parent volunteers as well as some community volunteers.

“We rotate in three two-hour shifts each school day, and volunteers are available for one-on-one help with things like college search, essay writing, and financial aid,” Winer said.

Students can access the CCC throughout the school day between 10:00 am and 3:30 pm.  While  supported by many neighborhood associations, the CCC is also sponsored by the Grady PTSA.

The Grady CCC hosts frequent college visits for students to explore their options. Every year the CCC hosts more than 150 colleges. As well as colleges, the CCC also hosts special events such as College in the Courtyard and the Career Expo, which introduces multiple career options to students who aren’t interested in obtaining a four-year degree.

Mazie Switzer is a senior browsing for colleges as well as a user of the CCC.

“Knowing if you are going to get in or not, deadlines, and resumes are the most stressful parts of college planning,”Switzer said. “The CCC gives students a chance to talk through what you want to do in the future with adults that care about your future.”  

The CCC helps seniors with college browsing and advice when applying to colleges as well.

”The most important connections with colleges is probably the college visits,” Winer said.

The same college representatives who are coming to Grady are most likely the same people in college admissions who will be reading that same student’s application.

“They love to make connections with the students who end up applying, and they will often remember them,” Winer said.

An Agnes Scott representative who came to Grady pointed out that while students may forget their essays as soon as they finish writing them, admissions officers  remember those students for long periods of time if they had already met the students. This makes the visiting college representatives important because starting the connections early with college representatives creates a connection with that college early on.      

    “[The Career Fair] is a great way to connect directly with people in a wide range of career fields,” Winer said. At the Career Fair last year, there were representatives from a variety of career paths, including health care, film, aviation, and construction.

While students may feel pressured to search for colleges, parents similarly feel obligated to help their children through the process.  Some parents, however,  may not have the necessary knowledge or experience to help their child adequately. The CCC takes off some of the stress parents may feel during this frantic season.

“There are so many resources there, the brochures, books and the college visits are great,” Grady parent Traci Switzer said.. “The [community and parent] volunteers are very knowledgeable, encouraging and helpful.”

The CCC has several text alert links setup to communicate important upcoming events such as college visits, essay writing workshops, and  college and career fairs.

“I get emails and texts pretty often, especially in the fall,” Traci Switzer said. Through this electronic communication, the CCC constantly updates parents so that they do not have to participate in college drama.

The Grady CCC can help many seniors every year find their path for their future when they may not know to do it themselves.

“College comes to you and [the CCC] helps you know what you want and what you don’t want,” Mazie Switzer said.