Greeley West hosted the Meet Your Future Match Fair today, designed to help seniors discover what they want their future to look like. 

“It’s not just college bound kids we want to help,” counselor Ms. Deli Sambur said. “We’re here to help all graduating seniors. The goal is to connect graduates with their future career or other opportunity.”

For instance, Ms. Leslie Galindo from Weld County Employment Services offers services to help young people find their first job and career. “We educate young people on how to accomplish their employment goals,” Galindo said. “That can mean different things for different people. Maybe you need help getting your first job at Arby’s, or maybe you want a career with the City Hall. Either way, we’re here to support you and help get you what you need.”

For those seeking higher education, there were also almost a dozen four-year and two-year colleges available. Ms. Athena Roys, a student outreach coordinator for Northeastern Junior College, said, “Since it’s the largest two-year college and the largest agricultural residential school in Colorado, you get a big university vibe at a fraction of the cost. It’s almost like a big family.”

If you’re on the edge about going to college for price purposes, the Bright Futures scholarship might be for you. “It’s a Workforce Development Grant for Weld County students,” said the college and career advisor, Ms. Kristen Mullen. “It gives $2000 a year towards tech schools, certificates, associates and bachelors degrees. All it takes is for you to complete the FAFSA or CASFA, 16 hours of community service, and completing our application by May 15th.”

Those who feel the military is the option for them weren’t left out, either. The Colorado Army National Guard was among the military branches present. “It’s sort of like a part-time military job,” Recruitment and Retention NCO Sergeant Will Felts said. “We only do military stuff once a month. Whenever you see, on the news, people in military uniforms helping with floods or wildfires, that’s us. Other than that, we live normal lives. Kind of like citizen soldiers.”