Seniors and juniors from Clinton City Schools, Sampson County Cchools and the Sampson Early College High School packed the former Midway High School gymnasium on a few weeks back to explore multiple colleges, trade schools and universities represented. The annual college fair, hosted by Sampson Community College, was a huge success, officials said, with more than 46 colleges represented.

The annual event is coordinated by Oscar Rodriguez, SCC director of admissions, who commented on the highly successful event that brings students from every corner of the county. “We’re excited that the participating schools used this opportunity as a traveling recruitment effort to target up-and-coming high school graduates. Going to college is a huge step in someone’s life, and we hope we helped them in their decision-making efforts.”

The annual fair was sponsored by CACRAO, the Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. The organization is dedicated to the advancement of higher education, with the goal to provide every high school student the opportunity to explore opportunities beyond high school. The organization also collaborated with the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC), which was on site to lend a hand for those with questions about how to apply and finance their college education.

Amy Noel, dean of students at SCC, praised the large turnout of students and college representatives, commenting “These students are fortunate to have the wonderful opportunity of gaining exposure to prospective educational institutions, and I’m thankful to the counselors from each of the participating schools that secured the outpouring of students.”

For more information about post-secondary opportunities at Sampson Community College, contact Oscar Rodriguez at 592-8081, or to learn more about CACRAO, log on to www.cacrao.org.