Sarah Oulman
Florida Southern College will be hosting the upcoming Polk District College Fair on Oct. 8.
The Polk County School District’s annual college fair will be held at Florida Southern’s George W. Jenkins Field House from 6 to 8 p.m. and is free for all guests to attend.
Representatives from over 80 colleges around the United States will be in attendance for Tuesday night’s event. The goal of the annual college fair is to encourage high school students in the local area to start thinking about college and their next steps toward higher education.
Students and parents are encouraged to come with plenty of questions, as the college representatives will be available to discuss the admissions process and any requirements students may need to meet prior to applying.
“Florida Southern is excited to host the Polk District College Fair on our campus, as we have been doing for several years,” Elizabeth Green, FSC’s Assistant Director of Admissions and Campus Visit Programs, said. “The event provides a great opportunity for students to kick off or continue their college searches in a meaningful way, and it brings a lot of excited visitors to campus who are all eager to learn and experience as much about the college search process as possible.”
The college fair focuses on hosting a variety of colleges and universities around the country that extend admissions representatives to meet directly with parents and students in Polk County. There will also be a celebratory photo booth, where parents and students are invited to take photos to commemorate the event.
“It’s a great opportunity to get one-on-one direct information and exposure to colleges across the nation,” Laquieria Nottage, Senior Coordinator for the Polk County School Board, said. “To have so many universities in one area is one of the best resources for the students.”
Nottage also explained that the Polk County Public School system is trying to encourage students to begin attending college fairs and other similar events at an earlier age to be able to prepare and be exposed to post-secondary information. She hopes that coming to events such as the annual college fair will motivate younger students to work harder and achieve their educational goals.
Florida Southern College students will also be getting involved in the event. Cadets from FSC’s ROTC program will be assisting college representatives and other individuals in setting up for the event, and Southern Ambassadors will be aiding guests around the campus by guiding them to the field house.
“Florida Southern students are, of course, welcome to stop in as well,” Green said. “I would certainly say that anyone interested in graduate programs can certainly stop by for information, although the representatives will probably be geared more toward undergraduate programs.”
For more information on Polk County Public Schools’ events, visit their website at www.polkschoolsfl.com.