Published: October 08, 2008 10:55 am      

Jeffersonville High School students explore career, colleges at fair

A sea of students and parents filled the hall and cafeteria at Jeffersonville High School on Tuesday night, all busily looking for the perfect college or career opportunity for once high school graduation passes.

For some, the approximately 50 booths can be a little overwhelming.

“I’m nervous, not knowing what’s the best one to go to,” said Brandon Caraway, a senior.

Counselor Erica Scott-Lawrence, who helped organize the event, said that’s exactly the reason the school has the College and Career Night every year.

“It’s critical,” she said of attending the fair. “The only way our students are going to learn about their options that are available to them are to have events like this.”

Hundreds of students did take advantage, even those who are years away from attending college.

“It’s never too early to start looking for colleges,” Kayla Netherton, sophomore, said, after picking up information at the booth for Ivy Tech Community College, in Sellersburg.

“If I wait until I’m a senior, it will be too late,” Jacob Watts, sophomore, said.

His mom agreed.

“I’m trying to encourage him to think about what he wants to do now, so he’ll have a lot of time to prepare,” Crystal Watts said. “Plus, I’m getting to learn about a lot of colleges we didn’t know were around here.”

Stephanie Jackson, associate director of enrollment services at Ivy Tech’s Sellersburg campus, said this event not only helps the students, but also the parents, especially those who didn’t attend college themselves.

“Having this allows the parents to see what their child is going to experience,” she said.

Megan Adams, coordinator of campus visit programs at the University of Louisville, has worked the U of L booth at the fair for years. However, this year she said she’s seeing more people than in the past.

“I’ve also noticed a lot more underclassmen students, which is good that they are planning now for their futures,” she said. “I am also seeing more parental involvement this year, which is a really big part in making sure students are successful.”

Lindsay Gavin, a junior, is one of those who came to the fair with one of her parents.

“I’m glad she’s here, because she and my dad are important influences on where I’ll go and they will help me make that decision,” she said as she picked up information at the Hanover College booth.

“I’m here to get all the information and look for the best deals,” Suzanne Morrison said as her daughter, Ashley Linker, filled out a form at the

U of L booth.

Scott-Lawrence estimated that about 300 families came to this year’s fair. She urged that students and parents start looking into college — even as early as elementary school.

That way, parents can start to plan for the financial aspect and students can start to work toward achieving the grade-point average and more that may be necessary to attend a particular college.