Lincoln High students make links to positive futures at college fair

October 9, 2023

Lincoln High juniors Justtina and Keeley are planning to make positive impacts on the lives of other people after they earn their diplomas.
 
They were able to link their future goals with present opportunities at a large college and career fair Oct. 4.
 
The two friends joined hundreds of other students in Lincoln High’s Johnson Gym. A total of 335 students spoke with representatives from 60 universities, colleges, community colleges, trade schools and military institutions.
 
Justtina would like to become either a therapist or teacher after she graduates from Lincoln High, and Keeley is interested in pursuing a career in psychology. Both said they were eager to find out more about their future education options.
 
“I think this is a great event for all of us here,” Keeley said. “It’s giving us a chance to explore a lot of colleges and see which ones have our major. It’s really good to have that chance.”
 
“There are over 50 colleges here, so we’re able to talk to a lot of people,” Justtina said. “It’s nice that we’re having it here at school instead of somewhere else.”
 
Event organizer Renee McClure said she was ecstatic about the turnout. McClure is a counseling team leader at Lincoln High and promoted the college fair to all juniors and seniors.
 
“I’m really excited about this,” McClure said. “It’s a great event for our students. It gives them such an amazing opportunity to get a head start on planning for what they want to do when they graduate. It really lets them see the types of opportunities that are available for them.”
 
About 300 Links completed a signup form before arriving in the gym for the fair that morning. They could sign up to have an individual barcode image placed on either their smartphone or a piece of paper. School and military representatives could then scan the barcodes to send information to students when they spoke with them.
 
Lincoln High graduate Jasmine Brown represented EducationQuest Foundation at the fair. The foundation co-sponsored the event with Lincoln High and the Nebraska Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. The non-profit organization helps students like Justtina and Keeley learn about the college application and scholarship process.
 
In addition to Lincoln High, the organizations also sponsored fairs for LPS juniors and seniors at East, North Star, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest from Oct. 2-5.
 
“We want to let students know that there are a lot of people here to help,” Brown said. “That’s our ultimate goal. We want to break down any barriers that might exist. When we do that, then we can help students become successful in whatever route they want to take.”
 
Lincoln High seniors Johnny, Esther and Alejandro said they were pleased with the number of institutions at the fair. All three had in-state schools at the top of their college lists, but they were open to exploring places outside of Nebraska as well. School and military representatives from Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming and Arizona attended the event.
 
“I’m looking at either UNO (University of Nebraska-Omaha) or UNK (University of Nebraska-Kearney), but it’s nice to have backups,” Esther said. “It’s good to see what other schools are out there.”
 
McClure said it was valuable for students to have in-person conversations with school and military representatives. She felt it gave them a chance to learn detailed information about each place and ask important follow-up questions.
 
“It’s always a good thing to talk with someone face to face,” McClure said. “It makes the whole experience more personal for everyone. You make those connections that you might not necessarily get from sending an e-mail.”
 
McClure also said it was helpful to have the college and career fair in a familiar setting for students. Hosting the fair on campus made it more accessible for students and allowed them to feel comfortable in their own gym.
 
Brown said the college and career fair was a good launching point for every Lincoln High student who came. She said it was a worthwhile experience that would help them reach their star-studded goals.
 
“It’s super important to have college fairs,” Jasmine said. “I still remember in high school when I went to my first one. I didn’t know a lot about the college process, so it was great to hear from people who were there. It’s nice to be on the other side today and have a chance to help kids learn how to plan for their futures.”

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