When you’re a freshman in high school, those four years until graduation can seem like forever.

But the truth is, graduation comes quicker than expected for many students and the what they do in their first few years of high school can make all the difference to their post-high school career.

With that in mind, the Kent school district each year hosts a Beyond High School event, geared toward ninth-, 10th- and 11th-graders at its four high school and those at Tahoma High School and designed to get them thinking about life after graduation.

“That’s when they need to start thinking about what it is they’ll be doing with their future,” said Claudia Bredow, a guidance counselor at Kentridge High School, the host of this year’s Beyond High School event.

Bredow said many kids, even those who already know they want to go to college, may not know the entrance requirements for schools they may want to attend and by the time they reach their junior or senior year, it may be too late to bring up their GPA or get involved in clubs and activities.

“it opens their eyes to get them thinking about their future,” Bredow said. “The schools look at everything.

“It’s tough nowadays getting in to some of the schools,” she said. “We’re trying to make them plan.”

More than 1000 students and parents from around the district and from Tahoma high school are expected to attend the event, as well as representatives from nearly 100 colleges, technical schools, the military and industry.

“There’s all kinds of different avenues for when students get out of high school,” Bredow said.

The event offers student and parents an opportunity to meet face-to-face with recruiters to get a better idea of what each school’s entrance requirements are.

Bredow said even students headed to technical schools need to be aware that some have specific requirements, such as attendance requirements at a cosmetology school. She also pointed to portfolio requirements to apply at the DigiPen Institute of Technology, which offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in game design, production animation and other digital art-related fields.

“Just like our rules change, college rules change all the time,” she said.

Kentridge Career Specialist Shellese Gourley said she has known several students who were engaged during their first few years of high school and were unable to complete the college requirements at the last minute.

“That’s when all your doors are either closed or open,” she said of the first two years of high school. “If you know what admission requirements are needed, you can take more rigorous courses.”

Gourley also said the inclusion of options other than four-year colleges is important to show the students they have multiple options.

“Sometimes you can get the training you need from a technical or community college,” she said.

The Beyond High School event is also an opportunity for parents to start thinking about graduation and beyond as well. Many of the event’s breakout sessions are designed for parents, Bredow said.

This year, there will be breakout sessions on financial aid, getting ready for college, NCAA rules and requirements for student athletes (students must register to play during their junior year of high school), as well as a session on special education and 504 plan students transitioning to college.

There is also a workshop on college applications.

There will be two breakout sessions during the evening and each topic will be offered twice.

Principal Mike Albrecht said the event was an efficient way for parents and students to get all of the information they need to prepare for life after graduation and helps create human contacts with the schools the students are interested in attending.

“We’ve got to get our kids college-ready and have to get them thinking about it early,” Albrecht said. “They have to be thinking in terms of high school not bring it any more.”

The Kent and Tahoma School Districts’ annual Beyond High School event is scheduled for 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Kentridge High School gymnasium, 12430 S.E. 208th St. For more information call the Kentridge Counseling office at 253-373-7349 or 253-373-7352.