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Terri Johnson, a counselor at Lafayette High School, talks with Kelcey McMurray during leadership class Friday afternoon.

Students considering their future careers have never had more resources to find what will suit them best.

Money doesn’t always factor into the choice. Though they can dream big — with confidence — they don’t necessarily dream of big money.

Teresa Klassen, a senior at Central High School, knows that pursuing a career in editing or publishing might not be the most financially lucrative of decisions.

“It’s important to be able to afford a life,” she said, “but I’m going to do what I want to do in the end ... not torture myself with math and science.”

According to counselors in the St. Joseph Public School District, the career pathways are opened as early as middle school. By the time students reach their freshman year, they’re filling out surveys that help them target their interests. Over the next year or two, they are surveyed to find their academic strengths and weaknesses. By their senior year, students map out what type of work environment would best suit them.

“I think really what we’re doing is showing kids that there are so many options,” said Terri Johnson, counselor at Lafayette High School, when asked if the surveys pigeonhole students.

Anna Maley, a senior at Central, has known she would go to college since she was old enough to know what college was. As a freshman, she was eyeing pre-med programs. But math and science aren’t her “forte,” so it was time to look elsewhere.

A program available to most high school seniors called Missouri Connections, a Web-based resource that gives students an idea of career paths and job availability, proved helpful in Ms. Maley’s decision to look at colleges with strong fashion merchandising and marketing/business programs.

“It’s pretty basic,” she said of the resource’s surveys. “It kind of lets you know where your strengths are.”

Alicia Saunders, college and career counselor at Central, said resources have changed drastically since she was in high school.

“(College is) something you decided your senior year,” she said.

Kim Shank, a Central guidance counselor, said staff will begin meeting with seniors in October to discuss plans after high school. About 30 percent of Central students will go straight into the work force.

“We’re always stressing to further your education,” she said, regardless of whether a student plans to attend a traditional college or not.

Ms. Johnson said she hopes to project onto her kids that “the sky’s the limit.” But at some point, counselors must ask students certain questions.

“Can you pay for the travel? Can you get admitted?” she said. “For some kids, they do. They jump through all those hoops. For other kids, they say ‘I’d be perfectly happy doing this instead.’”

Jimmy Myers can be reached

at jimmym@npgco.com.