CULLMAN – On Monday night, Cullman High School hosted its annual College and Career Fair for students. The event gives students, especially seniors, a chance to speak with admissions counselors and students from several colleges and universities from all over the state of Alabama; even a few representatives from out-of-state were in attendance.
CHS Principal Kim Hall said that the main objective of the evening was to, “target senior students to help them make plans for all of the events that they will encounter during their senior year; as well as, the plans that they have following high school—helping them make the best decisions for their future.” Hall later mentioned that the fair has, “grown drastically over the last four years.” She continued, saying, “It keeps evolving as we continue to help our students become college and career ready. It’s grown because our students are looking at a vast array of colleges.”
Not only has the fair grown in size due to the number of colleges attending, but the event has also seen more student involvement in recent years. Hall said, “Excitement has definitely grown with all grade levels and that is due to the advertising such as the announcements in the morning, putting it on the newsletter and promoting the event on Twitter as well as other avenues throughout the community.” The high school also hosted an informative meeting for parents and senior students about “the necessary dates that they can expect for their senior student such as financing, awards programs and prom,” concluded Hall.
Jennifer Callahan, teacher and National Honor Society (NHS) advisor, helped host the event by having her NHS students assist the representatives of the various colleges and universities in attendance. She says she was not shocked by the turnout. “I have been doing this for several years and we’ve always had tremendous turnout. The students support it, the parents support it, it’s always a tremendous success.”
Erin Tidwell, co-sponsor of the senior class and teacher at CHS, echoed Callahan, saying, “It was really good to have colleges come to campus making themselves available to these students to talk about different career paths.” Tidwell knows many of the graduating seniors through the classroom and from various extra-curricular activities and says she is glad to see the growth that students have made up to their senior year.
CHS College and Career Counselor Jill Bishop-Hollis explained, “It is my job and privilege to work with the students in ninth through twelfth grades to help them with college and career readiness; specifically, for life after high school.” Thrilled by the number of people who came out, she said, “Our students are very excited about their futures and they want to look into the opportunities that are out there.”
Hollis and Callahan both expressed gratitude for the hard work of the student ambassadors and NHS for assisting with the event.
The night was also an emotion one. Tidwell said, “I am excited because I view college as a rite of passage, and I love getting to see people succeed.”
Said Stacie Wren, senior class counselor, “I am happy that they (seniors) have gotten to this point and that they have been successful; they’re about to embark on the next season of their lives and being able to be a part of watching that development is a tremendous blessing.”
Bishop-Hollis put it best, saying, “Every class has their own personality; it’s always exciting to see the students take a real interest in their future and to see them take incisive action to find out what opportunities are available. I am more excited now, getting to see the possibilities for them and they get to see the possibilities without having to travel. I am more emotional at graduation.”
Some students were very enthusiastic about their chance to volunteer with colleges that they are interested in attending, such as Malachi Blackwood, NHS member and CHS senior, who was able to volunteer with the University of North Alabama (UNA). He shared that he was very excited to get to express his reasons why he wishes to attend the university with parents and students in attendance. He specifically enjoyed the fact that UNA sent students to the event to show what the life of a student who attends will be like; he was also able to make connections with the students. Although he says he is fairly set on attending UNA, Blackwood was able to expand his horizons with most of the in-state colleges that were present at the event. “I feel that colleges will be more successful at events like this if they show a student’s perspective as well.” About the personal connection he formed with the UNA students he said, “I am 100 percent confident that they will help, not just me, but students from other schools with different goals.”
Sarah Helms, NHS member and senior at CHS, described what the NHS was doing to assist attending representatives of colleges and universities. “I was a hostess for a college of my choosing, the University of Alabama, and I got to help answer questions and have every question that I had answered.” She says she intends on enrolling at the University of Alabama. “Tonight definitely help solidify the fact that Alabama is the place for me.”
Caroline Andrews, NHS member and senior at CHS, was surprised at the turnout, as she saw several lower classmen at the event, and the number of colleges that were in attendance– reiterating what Hall said earlier in the evening. She says she was able to visit several colleges that interest her, citing the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s medical program, Montevallo’s music department and Mississippi State’s veterinary program.
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