Written by sophomore Margaretta “Maggie” Wilson, Panther Productions
The college fair was a well-attended event, where students interacted with representatives from different colleges and universities, gathering information and asking questions to make informed decisions about their future. This year, the annual Quakertown Community High School (QCHS) college fair hosted 64 representatives from various colleges, trade schools, military, and apprenticeships. All the representatives were in the high school's lower gym throughout the afternoon, and the sophomore, junior, and senior classes visited the tables at 30-minute intervals. The fair provided students with a venue to explore different career options and ask questions.
Students were excited to see the various opportunities available to them at the fair, especially those who were not looking at colleges yet. This allowed them to start their search at their own pace.
"I think it's a really good opportunity. For people who are just starting to look at colleges, it is really good," commented Sarah Kummery, a junior at QCHS.
College representatives expressed their eagerness to work with Quakertown Community School District (QCSD), many of which have already worked with high school schools through career readiness partnerships. The college fair is an annual event that was started ten years ago by former Superintendent Dr. Bill Harner to provide students with possibilities they may not have known existed.
QCSD has an extensive list of contacts, securing a wide range of representatives at the college fair. The fair enables individuals to make more informed decisions in the future, which is the main benefit. Eric Gozzard, high school guidance counselor, was proud to take on the role of coordinator for this event, stating that it improves his relationship with students and allows him to help them achieve their goals.
"I have a database of college, trade school, apprenticeship, and military representatives that I keep updated all year,” said Gozzard. “I simply email them when the time is right. The representatives generally enjoy coming to our school and meeting with our students, so getting them to come is not a problem,” he said."
The fair also benefited the colleges, allowing them to spread information about their institution and promote their schools. College representatives at the fair noted the positive experience with QCSD, and that they enjoy working with the students and staff.
"We typically see students from Quakertown that apply to Arcadia over the years, so we always like to come and connect with the students,” said Devin Miller, a representative for Arcadia University. “I've had a positive experience with Quakertown. In my position, I've visited Quakertown twice. One was for a high school visit, and the second was for this college fair, but the staff and the students have always been super welcoming, and it seems like a great community," Miller said.
"It's been a very positive experience. The guidance counselors are supportive, and the students are great," said Thomas W. Speakman, the Executive Director of Admissions at Delaware Valley University, a frequent partner of the Upper Bucks County Technical School.
Overall, the college fair was a huge success, providing students with the opportunity to explore various options for their future education and careers. Quakertown was proud to host their tenth annual college fair and is looking forward to hosting representatives next year.
