4 Month High School Relationship with my Non-Jewish Girlfriend

Hi,

I’ve always grown up pretty religious, keeping kosher, going to shul every other week, Shabbat weekly, going to high holidays, etc. but being caught up as a senior male (17) in a public high school I was interested in girls. Not realizing the importance of a Jewish significant other in my community/religion it didn’t cross my mind that it was an issue she wasn’t Jewish.

We are 4 months into our relationship now, almost in the middle of our school year. And don’t get me wrong, I love this girl so much, I have so much feelings for this girl if it wasn’t for religion I’d marry her. But I am already set on breaking up with her eventually. It’s already assumed between us that we are going to different colleges, but we haven’t discussed continuing our relationship in college, regardless I don’t know if I could do long distance. Nor have I talked to her about how important religion is to me, and I can’t bring myself to marry a non-Jewish girlfriend.

My dilemma is that I want to stay with her in a relationship till the end of our senior year but is it best to tell her at the end of the year that I have to break up with her, so I don’t risk our relationship ending now, but she might be mad at me for wasting her time, or do I tell her now, risk our relationship ending/not being the same, but at least she can make the decision for herself if the relationship is a waste of time. I want to end off on a good note with this girl because of how much I love her, and she is my first love; I don’t want to lose contact with her, but I understand I have to end the relationship regardless.