Every high school student is familiar with the question that he or she is asked on a regular basis: "What are your plans after graduation?" For some kids, it's a difficult question to answer; after all, there are endless paths one can take following high school, and the pressure to make a decision can feel immense. On Nov. 6, Penn Manor High School hosted its annual Education Day and Career Expo to help students explore the world of opportunities that awaits them after graduation.

From 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., students gathered in the school's gymnasium with their families to meet representatives from more than 100 colleges, trade schools, military branches and occupations. The representatives manned stations set up throughout the room, where they handed out brochures and answered questions from curious students.

At the beginning of the year, the school's administrators held a survey to discern which career paths students were most interested in. In the survey, many students expressed a desire to explore social services, STEM-related occupations and health care professions. "We try to have something for everybody by incorporating a wide variety of businesses and colleges," said Nicole Moss, a career aide at Penn Manor High School. "It's also a great opportunity for students to speak with representatives from places they normally wouldn't consider." To encourage participation, students were tasked with completing a scavenger hunt during the event, which challenged them to seek out specific booths based on criteria such as the size of a school's student population, distance from Lancaster and school colors.

Penn Manor High School has hosted the annual Education Day for more than 30 years, and it remains one of the largest career events that the school hosts regularly. Margine Long, a guidance counselor at the high school and the event's organizer, said she received a wave of positive feedback from the representatives, who were impressed by the students' questions and enthusiasm to explore new paths. In addition to the career expo, Penn Manor High School offers students a variety of career seminars, guest speaker events and field trips throughout the year, which it tailors to the interests surveyed from the student body.

"It's so important to open students' eyes to all of the possibilities out there," said Moss. "When we take trips to college campuses and businesses where they see the work actually happening, it makes it real. It's important to keep an open mind and to explore as many interests as possible."