Murray, NEB-The week of Oct. 12-15 has brought college week back to Conestoga Public Schools. Since starting about six years ago, college week has become an annual event designed to start preparing students, middle school and up, to go to college. “The whole idea of the week is to get people talking and thinking about life after high school,” said Laurel Kreifels, Conestoga’s guidance counselor.

The most important events included an activity in the students’ Cougar Connections (homeroom) that taught them about how to go to college and the Apply2College day for seniors. Apply2College day takes place during the seniors’ English class. During this time, Kreifels and their classroom teacher worked to help them with applications and scholarships. They also viewed a financial aid presentation to learn about the different ways to pay for college. Juniors and seniors also took part in a virtual college fair where they had the opportunity to take virtual tours of different college campuses and chat with representatives from those colleges.

Throughout the week there were also other fun activities. Wednesday was a college gear day. Students dressed up and represented their favorite college for a small prize at lunch and an entry into a drawing for two gift cards. Another activity was college bingo where students find family, friends and teachers to sign off on squares with descriptors like, “went to college out of state,” or, “can name a private university.” This was designed to aid as a starting point for conversations about college. People who turned in a fully covered bingo board earned a prize and an entry into another drawing.

This year’s college week has definitely been important and valuable for Conestoga’s students. As Kreifels put it, “Even though I think that the teachers and the staff and myself are always there to talk to students about their post-secondary options and life after high school, I think putting the focus on this week and celebrating, it just kind of gets it in students’ minds more.”