Approximately 500 area juniors and seniors attended the first annual Alcorn County College and Career Fair at the MSU Extension Office this week. Students from both the Alcorn School District and Corinth School District had the opportunity to attend the event where they were welcomed by 40 vendors.
This year's event was planned by the ASD Career Coaches, Rebecca Lewis and Taylor Johnson. Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Johnson had a vision for students to attend a more interactive college and career fair.
"We wanted this event to be more than grabbing a pen and a few college stickers. We wanted our students to be able to interact with local employers, military recruiters, and college recruiters that would expose them to opportunities they weren't familiar with."
Vendors took advantage of the Halloween theme and went above and beyond to make this an experience to remember for the students. From Barbie's dream world at the First American National Bank booth to ACE's interactive lineman station, students were able to interact with each booth and learn more about the opportunities that are available to them in our area.
Students interested in moving from high school into an institute of higher learning had the opportunity to find out information about various programs of study and scholarships. Representatives were on hand from 10 separate schools, including NEMCC, The W, Alcorn State, Ole Miss, Delta State, UNA, Blue Mountain, Southern Miss, Mississippi College, and Mississippi State, to meet with students.
This event was also planned for students that plan to go straight into the workforce after high school by connecting students with potential employers. “We have so many students that have earned a trade through our career and technology programs in our schools. These students are eager to get to work and our workforce needs them right now. Mrs. Lewis and I support those students, just as we support our college bound students. We want them to have the opportunity to meet with future employers and make those connections that may lead to a career,” said Johnson. Reps were on hand from Marathon Cheese, Wal-Mart, Lowes, Kimberly Clark, hago, CAT, MS Silicon, ACE, the Alcorn School District, First American National Bank, Wilco, CB&S Bank, G&G Steel, PCA, TVA, Long Distribution, Coca-Cola, CAC, IBEW, & Magnolia Regional Health Center. Johnson added, “one of my seniors left the college and career fair with a job offer. This speaks to the importance of the event and the impact that was made.”
In order to give students a full picture about potential opportunities, Lewis and Johnson also invited and had representative on hand from public safety organizations including the US Coast Guard, Marines, Army, National Guard, Navy, MS Highway Patrol, Corinth Police Department, and Corinth Fire Department. These booths were also interactive as recruiters and representatives hosted friendly competitions and allowed students to try on tactical gear used in several of the organizations.
Lewis and Johnson have already begun plans for expanding this event next Fall. “We had a huge response from both our students that attended and the vendors that participated. Everyone left with a positive attitude toward the event and were eager to move forward with next year's planning and bring even more opportunities to the table for our students.”