By Kelly White
Community High School District 218 is preparing young minds for bright futures.
The district hosted a college a College and Career Fair on October 25 at the District Administration Center, 10701 S. Kilpatrick in Oak Lawn.
“Attending the college fair is an eye-opening experience where you can uncover your true potential, connect with peers and educators and find the perfect fit for your future,” Kassandra Lopez, 15, of Alsip, said. “It also provides a chance to chase your dreams and create a career path that’s unique to you.”
The College and Career Fair was moved to a district-wide event several years ago to accommodate students who wanted to attend the event with their parents, according to district officials.
In the past, each building within the district, consisting of Eisenhower High School, Richards High School and Shepard High School, hosted its own college fair. These fairs took place during the school day and were only open to students; however, counselors felt that including parents was an important part of the college process.
Now, the fair is held annually at the district office during the month of October. The free event was held in the evening open to students of all grade levels and their parents and/or caregivers within the district.
No matter the location, the benefits of the fair are still the same, according to Gina O’Brien, Counselor at Shepard High School.
“Attending a college fair is a great opportunity to collect admission information on potential schools and help students narrow down their college search,” O’Brien said. “Standing face-to-face with a college rep or career professional allows students to ask questions that are unique to their own circumstance.”
The fair featured more than 100 colleges, universities, vocational and tech schools and U.S. armed forces officials.
Along with officials from colleges and universities, who provided information on their programs, a number of employers at the fair specialized in a wide array of backgrounds, including: architects, physical therapists, pilots, real estate agents, representatives from the local police and fire departments and more.
Representatives were contacted through the district’s career counselors who have built community partnerships through the years which allowed for networking and collaboration opportunities for their students.
“We were fortunate that there were so many employers who were willing to give up their time and share information with students and the parents of Community High School District 218,” O’Brien said.
School officials were also grateful for the number of college representatives who attended, as well.
During the fair, students were able to gather information from their prospective colleges and universities and careers of interest. Students were able to meet with representatives and ask a variety of questions from majors offered to student life on campus.
“It was a great opportunity to collect information from a number of colleges, careers and military services in one day,” O’Brien said.
