Juniors and seniors from ODY had the opportunity to attend a college fair at SUNY Cobleskill last month, with representatives from nearly 50 colleges, universities, trade schools and branches of the U.S. military in attendance.
ODY guidance counselor Alicia Soper helped students make the most of their time with college reps by prepping them in advance with conversation starters and some common questions that they might consider asking.
“A college fair like this can really benefit any student, no matter where they are in the college search process,” Ms. Soper said. “For some of our students, this was their very first time speaking to college admissions reps and their first time hearing about certain schools,” she explained.
“Even students who have made up their minds about their post-graduation plans still benefit from this event because they’re able to brush up on their interview and communication skills, and maybe even do some networking,” Soper said.
Senior Mary Jane Kilbourn plans to study Health Science in college and said she is “99% sure” she would like to attend Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, but she may consider starting at a smaller school like Herkimer, and then transferring.
The college fair provided her the opportunity to chat with representatives and gain information that can help her make her final decision. For now, she continues to prepare herself for the rigors of college by taking advantage of higher-level “College Now” classes at ODY like English, U.S. history, psychology and anatomy & physiology. She lists her favorite subjects as physics and math.
Junior Maxwell Pullis is also fairly certain of his plans after high school. As of now, he would like to be a diesel tech in the U.S. Marine Corps, after which he plans to come home to take over his family’s farm business. At SUNY’s college fair, he spent time talking with a recruiter from the U.S. Army and even learned about a new school that he had never heard of - the University of Northwestern Ohio, which offers degrees in several different fields that he is interested in.
Pullis currently studies power sports and ag mechanics through Herkimer BOCES’ CTE program. He too is preparing for his future after ODY by staying active in extracurricular activities like FFA (of which he currently serves as president), and taking elective classes that align with his interests and his potential future career.
