College fair provides insight for students seeking higher education
“What are you going to do with your life?”
That is the million dollar question that parents and teachers have been asking teens for decades as they make their way through high school and prepare for life as an adult.
The thing is, many 16, 17 and 18-year-old youths don’t know what they want to do in life, let alone where they might want to attend an institution of higher education.
Fortunately, the Holmes County Higher Education Foundation has something that might spur teens on to making a decision about their future, as well as providing some excellent details on how families may be able to lessen the financial burden as attending college continues to be quite expensive.
As seniors approach the final winter of their last year of high school, some of them share one thing in common with freshmen who are just now beginning to feel comfortable roaming the halls of their respective schools: They know they want to go somewhere after graduation and continue their education, but they don’t even know where, let alone what they wish to pursue as a career.
For those students who are still searching, and even those who know what they want to do in the next step of their educational lives, the annual Holmes County College Fair on Monday, Oct. 17 at Hiland High School’s Perry Reese Community Center from 6:30-8 p.m., will provide a tremendous opportunity for students to explore higher education options, ask qualified professionals questions, chat with representatives from various institutions and gain a better sense of what kind of curriculum may best suit them as they seek to find their path into adulthood and further their education. The list of presenters is a balanced number of large universities, small colleges, specialized institutions and even the armed forces. Ashland University, Bluffton University, Malone University, Walsh University, Akron University, The Ohio State University, Mt. Vernon Nazarene University... colleges from all over the state and even beyond will be present. Overall, there will be more than 70 institutions on hand for the event which is designed and operated by the Holmes County Education Foundation, including nursing schools, technical schools, and military options.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for students who want to continue their educational experience,” said Anna Patton, assistant executive director for HCEF. “What we want to promote is the importance of gaining a higher education in today’s world, and to give students a chance to explore the many different educational options at their disposal.”
Darla Stitzlein, executive director for HCEF, said that students and parents who attend can not only discover some outstanding options concerning where the next step in higher education may go, but they can also learn more about the importance of quality ACT scores and how test scores and GPA correlate to scholarships. The HCEF really stresses the importance of exploring any higher education’s financial aid through their website, with the HCEF taking a major role in introducing families to financial aid and grant options, something that can be quite frightening, especially for parents who are going through the process for the first time.
The event is designed to give students who are currently anywhere from junior high to their senior year a chance to explore the many various higher educational options in and around Ohio.
Last year’s event saw 61 seniors, 68 juniors, 28 sophomores and seven freshman in attendance, as well as two adults. Of those numbers, 116 students were from West Holmes, 35 from Hiland, and students from Garaway, Dalton, Gospel Haven, Loudonville, Waynedale, Triway and New Philadelphia, in addition to six home-school students, took advantage of having so many higher education institutions in one place.
Whether typical four-year colleges and universities or specialty schools in massotherapy, art or cosmetology, students could review educational options, zeroing in on not just schools they feel they would be interested in, but their specific field of interest as well.
“In the past several years, we have had numerous students make contact with college representatives at this fair that have resulted in scholarship opportunities after graduation,” said Craig Hershberger, Hiland High and Middle School guidance counselor.
Stitzlein said that if students have questions concerning career choices or financial aid options and availability, they may call the Holmes County College Access Program at 330-674-1255.
That is the million dollar question that parents and teachers have been asking teens for decades as they make their way through high school and prepare for life as an adult.
The thing is, many 16, 17 and 18-year-old youths don’t know what they want to do in life, let alone where they might want to attend an institution of higher education.
Fortunately, the Holmes County Higher Education Foundation has something that might spur teens on to making a decision about their future, as well as providing some excellent details on how families may be able to lessen the financial burden as attending college continues to be quite expensive.
As seniors approach the final winter of their last year of high school, some of them share one thing in common with freshmen who are just now beginning to feel comfortable roaming the halls of their respective schools: They know they want to go somewhere after graduation and continue their education, but they don’t even know where, let alone what they wish to pursue as a career.
For those students who are still searching, and even those who know what they want to do in the next step of their educational lives, the annual Holmes County College Fair on Monday, Oct. 17 at Hiland High School’s Perry Reese Community Center from 6:30-8 p.m., will provide a tremendous opportunity for students to explore higher education options, ask qualified professionals questions, chat with representatives from various institutions and gain a better sense of what kind of curriculum may best suit them as they seek to find their path into adulthood and further their education. The list of presenters is a balanced number of large universities, small colleges, specialized institutions and even the armed forces. Ashland University, Bluffton University, Malone University, Walsh University, Akron University, The Ohio State University, Mt. Vernon Nazarene University... colleges from all over the state and even beyond will be present. Overall, there will be more than 70 institutions on hand for the event which is designed and operated by the Holmes County Education Foundation, including nursing schools, technical schools, and military options.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for students who want to continue their educational experience,” said Anna Patton, assistant executive director for HCEF. “What we want to promote is the importance of gaining a higher education in today’s world, and to give students a chance to explore the many different educational options at their disposal.”
Darla Stitzlein, executive director for HCEF, said that students and parents who attend can not only discover some outstanding options concerning where the next step in higher education may go, but they can also learn more about the importance of quality ACT scores and how test scores and GPA correlate to scholarships. The HCEF really stresses the importance of exploring any higher education’s financial aid through their website, with the HCEF taking a major role in introducing families to financial aid and grant options, something that can be quite frightening, especially for parents who are going through the process for the first time.
The event is designed to give students who are currently anywhere from junior high to their senior year a chance to explore the many various higher educational options in and around Ohio.
Last year’s event saw 61 seniors, 68 juniors, 28 sophomores and seven freshman in attendance, as well as two adults. Of those numbers, 116 students were from West Holmes, 35 from Hiland, and students from Garaway, Dalton, Gospel Haven, Loudonville, Waynedale, Triway and New Philadelphia, in addition to six home-school students, took advantage of having so many higher education institutions in one place.
Whether typical four-year colleges and universities or specialty schools in massotherapy, art or cosmetology, students could review educational options, zeroing in on not just schools they feel they would be interested in, but their specific field of interest as well.
“In the past several years, we have had numerous students make contact with college representatives at this fair that have resulted in scholarship opportunities after graduation,” said Craig Hershberger, Hiland High and Middle School guidance counselor.
Stitzlein said that if students have questions concerning career choices or financial aid options and availability, they may call the Holmes County College Access Program at 330-674-1255.
Published: October 6, 2011
