Choosing a career path is not easy.  Over your four years at PNHS, the College & Career Center will support you as you focus in on your strengths and interests to ultimately choose a career path and plan for pursuing that career.  

Choosing a career path is an ongoing process.  It can be stressful and overwhelming, especially senior year when you will be trying to figure out what you want to do after high school.  So I highly recommend you start now. 

Here are some ways you can explore your strengths and interests and potential careers:

• Talk to your Counselor about taking classes at PNHS to learn more about your areas of interest 

• Join clubs to connect with students, teachers, and community members who are passionate about similar things

• Talk to someone who works in your field of interest; ask if you can spend the day shadowing them at work

• Volunteer or get a job that will allow you to learn more about your field of interest

• Attend a summer camp focusing on your areas of interest

• Use Naviance or School Links to explore careers .

• Read books or watch documentaries about careers that interest you

Keep in mind that college applications often ask students to share why they have chosen a specific major.  Having these types of experiences not only helps you to be confident in your choice, but it also helps you to be able to convey this to the colleges you're applying to.  Colleges like to know that you have done your research on both your major and their college!

• TBA

LOCAL BUSINESSES:  Please Email Elaina Kalantzis to post jobs or volunteer opportunities for PNHS students here.

• Health Careers institute -free interactive workshops at Midwestern university. June 10-14th. www.midwestern.edu/ILHealthCareersInstitute

• If you are interested in independent volunteering (outside of a school sponsored club), then you can use this Volunteer Agencies Reference Guide for a variety of options.    

• Volunteer Match is a great tool for finding local volunteer opportunities.  You can search by location, cause area, and skills. 

Summer is a great time to explore your academic interests and get experience on college campuses.  Many colleges offer summer enrichment camps for this purpose.  

Visit websites of colleges you're interested in to learn more about the programs they have to offer.  Summer enrichment opportunities shared with the College & Career Center will also be posted below.

• AI Scholars (at Naperville North)

• Adelfi University Summer Pre-College Program

• Artificial Intelligence AI Summer Camp 

• AMDA High School Conservatory (Performing Arts)

• Ball State Interior Design Summer Workshop

• Bellin College (Wisconsin) Summer Nursing Camp

• Bocconi (Italy) Summer School Session

• Boston University Media Production Summer Workshops

• Boston University Summer Journalism Program

• Calvin University Entrada Scholars Program

• Calvin University Summer Career Explorations

• Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Programs

• Close Up Washington DC Summer Institute

• Columbia University Pre-College Programs

• Cornell University Pre-College Studies

• Deloitte Tech Team Challenge

• Dr. Rubin's Mini Medical School

• Fermilab Interships

• Fermilab Saturday Morning Physics (offered during the school year)

• Georgetown Pre-College Summer Programs 

• Gettysburg Summer Programs and Athletic camps

• Global Summer Learning Institute

• Harvard Crimson Scholars

• Illinois Tech Pre-College Summer Programs

• Ilinois State Cybersecurity summer camp

• Landmark College (Vermont) Summer Learning Opportunities

• Lawrence Technical University summer camps

• Lipscomb Summer Scholars Program

• Marist College (NY) Summer Pre-College programs

• Miami University (Ohio) Summer Scholars Program

• Montclair State University (NJ) Early College Summer Programs

• Mount Mary Summer Leadership Camp

• Northern Illinois University College of Visual and Performing Arts Summer Camps

• Northwestern Summer College Prep Program

• NYU Pre-College Summer Programs

• Pratt Pre-College Summer Programs

• Purdue Business Opportunities Program 2021 Summer Camp

• REEX JumpStart Scholars in Commercial Real Estate/Business 

• Rensselaer Summer STEM Preface Program

• Rhode Island School of Design Pre-Collegiate Programs

• Rice University Pre-College Summer Programs

• Rose-Hulman STEM camps

• Sewanee Pre-College Field Studies

• Stanford Summer Pre-Collegiate Studies

• Syracuse University Pre-College Studies

• University of Alabama Early College Summer Program

• University of Chicago - Summer Session

• University of Dayton - Engineering Events

• University of Illinois at Chicago Future Leaders in Business Summer Program

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Grainger College of Engineering Summer Camps

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Discover Architecture

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Pre-College STEM Summer Youth Programs

• University of Massachussetts Amherst-Pre-College Summer Programs

• University of Miami Summer Scholars Program

• University of Michigan Joy of Coding Summer Program

• University of Nebraska - Lincoln College of Architecure Online High School Camp

• University of Wisconsin-Madison Badger Pre-College Summer Programs

• Virginia Commonwealth University Pre-College Summer Programs (Arts)

• Washington University in St. Louis Pre-College Summer Programs

• West Point Summer Leaders Experience

• Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics

Also, here's a comprehensive list of Summer Programs posted by the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling.