Published: December 01, 2008 08:39 am            

College fair draws 850 area high school students

Community News

By SHARON DODSON

The Center for

Rural Development



Pulaski Central senior Kayla Barnett is looking for a college or university that will give her a chance to explore her gifts in music and drama. She discovered Somerset Community College (SCC) could offer her the best of both worlds — a chance to study theater and sing in a community choir – at a regional college fair held recently at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset.

Barnett, who has won state and regional music competitions, was one of about 850 high school juniors and seniors from Pulaski and Wayne counties who spoke to recruiters from SCC and more than 30 other colleges and universities at the event.

“I’ve always been interested in music and art,” Barnett told Trent Pool, SCC student affairs recruiter. “I would love to get into a music or art program.”

Though Barnett has not made up her mind where she will attend college in the fall, she said SCC is one of her top choices because she could pursue her passion for music and arts there while remaining in Pulaski County.

Sean Ayers, student recruiter, said SCC sponsors an annual college fair to give high school students in south central Kentucky a chance to learn about the multitude of academic and career-training programs offered at colleges and universities in Kentucky and elsewhere.

They chose to have this year’s event on Nov. 5 at The Center.

“Students have an opportunity to talk to more than 30 college representatives and learn what each college has to offer them,” Ayers said. “We try to give them information about all of our programs we offer at Somerset Community College.”

During the event, students from Somerset High School, Pulaski County High School, Southwestern High School, Pulaski Central, Somerset Christian School and Saline Christian Academy talked to college representatives, asked questions about various programs of study and came away with hands-full of brochures and informational literature.

Southwestern High School senior Tiffany Elkins said the college fair helped her narrow her choices to two schools.

“I am thinking about Eastern Kentucky University or Western Kentucky University,” she said while filling out a questionnaire. “I plan to major in pre-med. I’m going to be a registered nurse.”

Her friend, Kimberly Ramsey, has applied to Berea College in Berea, but said she enjoyed talking to recruiters from other colleges and exploring her options.

“I think a college fair is a good idea because it makes it easier for students to learn more about colleges without having to travel throughout the state,” Ramsey said.

Participating colleges and universities included: Western Kentucky University, Union College, Pikeville College, Thomas Moore College, Lindsey Wilson College, Morehead State University, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Alice Lloyd College, Lincoln Memorial University, Kentucky State College, University of Kentucky, Somerset Community College, Sullivan University, Eastern Kentucky University, Midway College, Northern Kentucky University, Virginia Intermont College, Transylvania University, Berea College, University of the Cumberlands, Spencerian College, University of Louisville, Metropolitan College, St. Catharine College, Asbury College, Murray State University, Louisville Technical Institute, Spalding University, Campbellsville University, Georgetown College and Centre College.

Representatives from the Air Force Academy, Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology, Kentucky Higher Education Assistance and The Student Loan People also participated in the event.

The Center for Rural Development, located in Somerset, provides economic and community development programs to residents in a 42-county service area of southern and eastern Kentucky and is home to several statewide and national technology-based programs. For more information on these programs, visit:

www.centertech.com

For more information on Somerset Community College, call toll free at 1-877-629-9722 or visit:

www.somerset.kctcs.edu

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.