Students take first step towards college
By GEORGIA PURDY Newsboy Correspondent

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER STUDENTS Timoti Cauley, Kwame Spikes, William Brooks and Cameron Stubblefield gather information from Sam Houston State University during the high school's College Night event. Students met with college recruiters during the event who handed out information on their campuses to prospective college students.

Students, many accompanied by their parents, sought information from many of the 37 college and university booths at Jasper High School's College Night Dec. 5.

One hundred and twenty two students and 50 sets of parents attended.

"We had fewer students this year, but they were asking good questions," counselor Elizabeth Cook said. "I think overall it was successful."

The students were mostly seniors who have not yet made a decision about what school they want to attend; however, there were also underclassmen getting an early start.

"This allows students to talk to college representatives and actually see what these schools have to offer," senior Jessica Alvis said. "It is visual. When you look online or read a brochure, you don't get the one-on-one communication. It's also and advantage for kids who are not seniors."

Alvis said she had not completely made up her mind about which college she will choose, but she knows she is interested in either nursing or physical therapy.

Many of the students in attendance said they had not made their final decision are are still looking for schools that have programs that fit their interests.

For example, senior Callie Dover and her father Wade were asking questions about admission requirements of the representative from Lon Morris.

"I'm interested in public relations or advertising," Callie said. "I've taken the ACT but I haven't chosen a school yet. This is a good thing because it lets you know more about the schools and the grades you need to get into certain colleges."

As Jarrod Cauley and Anthony McCarter talked with the recruiter from Texas Southern University, they asked specific questions about their chosen interests. Anthony wanted to know about the music program and Jarrod had questions about kinesiology.

"I want to be a football coach," Cauley said. "I'm looking a what these schools are about and the requirements to get in."

Recruiters seemed pleased with the many questions they received. The representative from Texas State Technical College said he made many good contacts.

"These are quality students," he said. "They asked good questions and I'm very, very pleased. I'm definitely going to follow up on the students I met."

JHS counselor Jennifer Herrington said that she was very pleased with college turnout as well as student participation.

"We had 37 colleges and the students who attended needed to make the college connection," Herrington said. "These are mostly kids who plan to attend college but haven't made the connection. When recruiters come, it makes that connection with students that doesn't happen when we tell them about schools. Actually talking to a recruiter creates a buzz. I'm really pleased ."