SANDPOINT — With more than 40 seniors attending Lake Pend Oreille High School this year, the class of 2019 is shaping up to be the largest in the school's history.

While not all of those students plan on going on to a college or trade school, every single one was tasked with submitting applications to at least one postsecondary institution on Thursday as part of Idaho's College Application Week. LPOHS counselor Deborah Osborn said while she doesn't know exactly how many of the seniors plan to go on to college, more do than not.

"And oftentimes they change their mind during the year," Osborn said.

For those who do change their minds as the year progresses, filling out the applications now puts them one step ahead.

LPOHS senior Abby Daily has known for some time that she wants to go to college, though she is still somewhat undecided on a the college or major. Daily said she will likely go into the medical field, maybe to become a nurse, but has also thought about majoring in art or music. She spent a lot of time in hospitals as a child, though not for herself, she said, but seeing how medical staff helped people inspired her to look at that as a possible career choice. 

"I just love helping people and I feel like that would be a nice way to (help)," Daily said.

Daily did have a medical issue when she went to Sandpoint High School that set her back, she said, which is how she ended up at LPOHS about a year-and-a-half ago.

"Honestly, LPO is one of the best things that's ever happened to me," she said. "Now I am way ahead and can graduate early."

Daily said she is looking at Boise State University, Santa Barbara City College and California State University at Long Beach. Daily was filling out the Apply Idaho application on Thursday, which is an online application that allows Idaho students to apply to one or more of Idaho’s public colleges and universities through a single application. Filling out the application with the help available during the allotted time on Thursday will help when she fills out applications for out of state schools, she said, as she will have a better understanding of how the process works.

Daily's classmate, Liam Bigsby, applied to one college — North Idaho College — as he will be starting in the dual credit program next semester. His plan is to get an associate's degree in business, which will eventually lead to a master's in business, he said. Bigsby said his ultimate goal is to open a small restaurant.

"I've always known I wanted to go into business," he said. "It's pretty lucrative."

He will go to school at NIC two days a week, he said, while finishing his high school classes at LPOHS. He is far enough ahead, though, that Bigsby said he should only need to attend one day a week, mainly to check in with teachers if he needs any help. Bigsby said he came to LPOHS four years ago after he stopped going to school for a time as a freshman at SHS and got behind.

"I love it here," Bigsby said. "I'm glad this is the high school I got to go to."

College Application Week is a nationwide program to help every high school student apply for a postsecondary degree. Idaho initiated College Application Week five years ago, during which public colleges and universities across the state waive the application fee for Idaho students. The State Board of Education then launched the Apply Idaho program to simplify the application process as well.

SHS postsecondary counselor Jeralyn Mire, and SHS college and career mentor Kendall Lang, partnered with Osborn to bring College Application Week to LPOHS students. While SHS has participated since it was a pilot school for the program in 2013, this is the first year they have brought it to the alternative high school, Lang said.

"We are really appreciative for this partnership with Deb and LPO, and just helping the seniors figure out what they want to do," said Lang, who was on hand to help the students with the application process on Thursday. 

Lang said she enjoyed getting to know some of the LPOHS students and help them try to find a path. Osborn agreed it was a good opportunity for the kids, whether they plan to pursue postsecondary education or not.

This is Osborn's first year as counselor at LPOHS, and at the beginning of the school year, she said, the first thing they did was take all of the seniors' pictures in their caps and gowns.

"Which I think is very cool," Osborn said. "In other words, you start this year with a clean slate. Here's our expectation — you're graduating."

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.