Irvine Unified School District hosted the annual College, Career and Life Readiness Fair at Northwood on Oct. 23, bringing post-high school guidance to students and parents.
The fair featured over 75 college representatives from local and out-of-state schools. IUSD staff members and IVC representatives led six breakout presentations and Q&A sessions about popular topics such as AP courses, dual enrollment and financial aid.
“A major part of this is being able to open up students’ minds to different academic possibilities and advise about unique pathways,” Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences representative Shannon Smith said. “Asking a lot of questions is truly to the student’s benefit. Using the feedback from us representatives can be extremely helpful.”
Student panels hosted by Youth Action Team representatives allowed students to hear first-hand accounts of the college admissions process and how to prepare for the college search process.
Hosted by the OC Department of Education, the “College and Career Exploration for Younger Students” also discussed the importance of planning ahead and having an open mind to non-high school students.
Representatives from a variety of institutions like the US Army, Air Force and Marines discussed opportunities to simultaneously gain education and work experience, and specialized industry schools and career technical education representatives shared information about highly specialized pathways.
“I’ve learned that there’s a wide variety of colleges that can fit your interests, and you don’t have to stick to just one path,” freshman Anderson Lay said. “Exploring your options is really important during the college search.”
Workshops and presentations from the event can be found at iusd.org. College representatives at Northwood’s College and Career Center can be tracked weekly through the College and Career newsletter updates.
