Counselor Dr. Andrea Fuhrer and her intern Alissa Villani have been contacting and gathering colleges from all over the grid to transform the auxiliary gym into a hub of possible college choices and information.

On Feb. 26 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the gymnasium, Fuhrer and Villani will be hosting the College and Career fair. Over 60 colleges will be attending this event, including well-known colleges such as University of Central Florida, University of Florida and Florida State University.

Alongside colleges, there will be different trade fields students can learn about, such as the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Navy and the Council on International Educational Exchange.

The fair is only open to juniors and seniors, though freshmen and sophomores can attend if their entire class is going.

“Juniors are the ideal group [to attend] because they’re [getting] ready to apply for college,” Fuhrer said. “But it’s really good for 12th graders too, especially those 12th graders that may not be as decided. For juniors, I would say it’s a ‘You don’t want to miss’ event.”

Once students sign up, Fuhrer will email those attending a one-page sheet where they can write down questions they have for the colleges available. Students are encouraged to ask questions about the programs offered, which campus they should attend and many other questions that will be valuable to their application process.

“I think colleges really look for students that have a genuine interest in the school and are confident talking to the admissions reps,” Villani said. “I would just say, come prepared with questions, and maybe have two to three schools that you might be interested in.”

Attending this event can help students understand what colleges are looking for in students, and the requirements they need to meet to be a competitive applicant. This event also aims to help students find careers that they can go into right after high school instead of attending college.

“I know sometimes for teenagers it’s a scary thing to think about talking to adults and having these conversations, but the more they do, the more they have access to admissions, scholarships and internships,” Fuhrer said. “There’s a lot of opportunity out there, if you grab hold of it. It can catapult you into opportunities in your future.”

For students whose third period teacher did not sign the class up to attend, the QR codes are attached to flyers that can be found on the College and Career’s Facebook and Instagram, or the Student Services page.