Hundreds of Poughkeepsie High School students packed their gymnasium on Monday morning, Nov. 10, for the school’s 12th annual multicultural college fair. Guidance Counselor Frank Perez, along with his entire department and the school’s Multicultural Coalition, had 37 colleges and universities in attendance. Representatives from various schools came from as near as Dutchess Community College, Marist, SUNY New Paltz, Vassar and Bard colleges, to as far as the University of Alaska – Fairbanks. The goal for the day was to expose students to a wide array of schools, academic majors and information.
“For many of our students, this is the first contact they will have with an admissions counselor,” Perez said.
Admission representatives were on hand to distribute everything from brochures to pens, highlighting their respective institution’s name. In exchange, many students signed up for schools’ mailing lists.
In highlighting her college, DCC admission counselor Michelle Rosenbaum said the college is located just five minutes from the high school and offers the lowest tuition in the state. She also offered incentive to students graduating locally with high honors. She said students who graduate within the top 10 percent of their class and plan to attend DCC full time, are eligible to apply for the Charles E. and Mabel E. Conklin Scholarship for Academic Excellence, which covers students’ full tuition and fees.
David Borus, Vassar College Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, explained Vassar’s Poughkeepie High School Scholarship Program. The program removes student loans from financial aid packages awarded to Poughkeepsie High School students accepted to Vassar. Loans are replaced with additional scholarship funds so that students can be able to graduate from Vassar without debt. Students interested in the Vassar plan must have spent the final two years of their high school careers at the high school in order to be eligible.
For those needing an extra boost, several high school faculty and staff stopped by for a visit, including Christine Buckman, a special education and math teacher who said she was pleased to see so many students in attendance. Buckman said she has been working with the 10th period program at the high school, an initiative established by Superintendent Laval Wilson for students who need academic intervention.
But just as the colleges and universities were sizing up the students, the Poughkeepsie pupils were also evaluating each college’s potential.
Sophomore Wilfredo Herrera explained what he’s looking for in a college.
“I’m looking for a college that has a mechanical or electrical engineering program, and football,” said Herrera, a member of the high school football team. “I like to work with my hands.”
Other student-athletes also have a game plan mapped out.
“I want to go to college down south,” said senior basketball player Kalel Burgess, who formerly lived in South Carolina. “Clemson (University) gave me a letter.”
Burgess added that he hopes to study business and one day open up a chain of businesses around the nation, as well as a dance studio.
Junior Cuc Nguyen wants to become a teacher and has been told to first attend community college.
“Everyone says it’s easier to start at DCC for two years,” she said.
Others, like junior Brittney Ellis, hope to eventually relocate to a major city.
Ellis said she hopes to study communications in college and get a job in either print or broadcast journalism in New York City.