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College night helps students see new opportunities

A display table of MCCC gear at College Night Oct. 6.

Close to 50 community colleges, universities and vocational schools gathered on campus Oct. 8 to show local students future opportunities.

MCCC’s College Night is an event open to all ages but is most popular among late high school students and early college students. Booths are set up with representatives from different schools who are there to answer any questions about their school or programs to help students narrow down schools or subjects they’d like to go into.

“We go to other College Nights, so we may as well have one here,” said Kojo Quartey, president of MCCC said. “It gives them a chance to look at other colleges in case they want to transfer. We bring all the colleges to them.”

Many of these colleges have been attending the event for years now.

“We get to establish a pipeline,” Jake McCown a Spring Arbor University’s representative said.

Katherine Merciena, a representative with the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, said she loves recruiting students and making the college known.

College Night also offered information into other fields such as cosmetology and the military.

“It is important to have other fields here so students know what their options are,” said Hannah Baker, a representative from Aveda Cosmetology School.

“College is not for everybody,” said Navy representative David Bowens.

There were also multiple booths for MCCC to entice high school students or inform those who already go to the college. For example, the financial aid booth, run by Allison Gallardo, was there to let students know about doing their FAFSA and applying for applicable scholarships.

Another was MCCC’s medical booth.

“We have one of the best programs,” Ijaz Ahmed, the respiratory therapy director said. “80-90% of students have jobs before they graduate.”

The attendants at the technology booth even brought out their advanced VR system to display.

“It was awesome,” David Doering, a senior at State Line Christian School, said after using the technology.

At the end of the night, the most common questions were from students asking for tips about getting into colleges or the programs they want.

“You need to understand your wants,” said Sarah Fiorillo, a representative from Central Michigan University’s admissions.