Panther Valley High School senior Vanessa Papay aspires to be a pharmaceutical sales representative someday. Choosing the right college is a big step toward reaching that goal, and it’s not always easy.

Last week, Papay and 80-plus classmates announced their college plans to classmates, friends and family as Panther Valley held their first ever college decision day. The event was organized by the school’s college adviser, a position funded by an anonymous donor.

“It’s very stressful and there’s so much that you need to do and know, and they all helped me decide that’s where i should be and that’s what’s going to be best for me,” she said.

The day started with a ceremony where each student announced their plans as parents and classmates cheered. When a group of students declared they were heading to Penn State, none other than the Nittany Lion joined them on stage.

After the ceremony they celebrated their decisions with a carnival in the high school gym with games, prizes, and pizza.

Michelle Bailey, a member of the Pennsylvania College Advising Corps, organized the event. Since the beginning of the school year Bailey has been stationed at Panther Valley to help kids reach the goals they have set for themselves following high school. For the majority, that means college, but Bailey said she supports their decisions instead of making them for them.

“We’re not here to push them into one track or another, we’re here to assist them on the path they’re already on, or whatever path they want to be on,” she said.

Bailey said she was very proud of all the students for announcing their post-secondary plans, and that adults may not understand everything that students have to do when choosing what to do after high school.

The event marked the end of a long, stressful process for many seniors -- visiting colleges, completing and verifying FAFSA forms, and completing college entrance exams.

“These students have shown a lot of grit, a lot of tenacity in doing what they’re doing, they’ve not given up and they’ve all made it where they want to be,” Bailey said.

Each student has their own unique plan -- even those attending the same university. They each found a program based on the job they would like to have.

Brianna Cruz announced that she would be attending Penn State Hazleton. She said it felt great to have the decision finalized.

“I heard Penn State Hazleton has a really good psychology program, and staying close to home is very important to me, so it’s kind of the perfect mixture,” she said.

Alexis Borger found an online university which is well-known for childcare. She said Bailey helped her find the program based on her career.

“I knew what I wanted to do, and she helped me with the rest,” Borger said.

The Pennsylvania College Advising Corps is part of the Americorps program. There are 26 schools around the state with a dedicated college adviser.

Bailey’s position is funded -- to the tune of $50,000 per year -- by a Pather Valley graduate who anonymously approached the college advising corps about the position. The donor told the program that they want to fund the position indefinitely.

Bailey said she is proud of the students for working hard to finalize their post-secondary plans.

“Having this culminating event where they’re all recognized for that hard work was really fulfilling for me, and I hope all my students feel the same way,” she said.