INSTITUTE, W.Va –Kanawha County Schools wants its students to get a jump on life after high school and gave them a chance to do so with its college and career fair on Monday.
Every junior and select seniors from all eight Kanawha County high schools descended on West Virginia State University’s Walker Convocation Center to visit with 43 institutions from colleges to businesses and the military.
“We want to expose students and encourage them to begin their post-secondary planning early on in high school. As early on as ninth or tenth grade, we want them to consider what a post-secondary credential can do for them, whether that’s a two-year degree, a four-year degree, or pursuing a trade through one of our local career centers,” Kanawha County Schools Executive Director for Student Support Jon Duffy said.
Colleges and universities on hand included nearly every institution in West Virginia and even featured schools like the University of Alabama and Stanford University. With so many opportunities to speak to students, admissions officers hoped to help young people find their goals.
“What we’re here to do today is to help kids discover what it is that they want to do and to guide them in the best path to do and accomplish what they want to do with their lives,” Concord University Director of Admissions Allen Smith said.
Students were not just limited to conversations with admissions representatives, though. Some schools brought professors and other faculty along to talk about specific programs available on their campuses.
“Having them be able to come on our campus and see what we have to offer and be able to talk with us, not only the admissions office but some of our other programs here face-to-face, and hear it from the professors themselves about what they are teaching in their classrooms, I think it’s really important for the students to hear that,” WV State University Admissions Counselor Leon Ewell, Jr., said.
The career fair section of the event featured numerous fields from law enforcement to medicine and government offices. Not only could representatives talk to students about their work, but also what they need to get a job in those areas.
“Some of those students I’ve spoken with this morning didn’t know you need to have a four-year college degree to work for the FBI, and that’s why it’s important to talk to them in high school when they’re exploring whether or not they will go to college,” FBI Community Outreach Specialist Whitney Barnhart said.
Officials from schools, businesses, and employers echoed just how important this face-to-face interaction can be. Some said it could even change the direction of a student’s life.
“I think nothing can beat one-on-one interaction and meeting with students. A lot of students, there are just a lot of things that they haven’t thought about in life,” Smith said.
The Kanawha County College and Career Fair also features a session for parents to meet with representatives from 6-8 p.m. on Monday.