College and Career Night at Island Coast tonight
For the sixth year, Island Coast High School will host its College and Career Night tonight.
Open to middle and high school students in Lee County, the event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the school. Representatives from dozens of higher education institutions will be on hand.
“We have between 60 and 70 colleges and career placement organizations, technical schools,” Nancy Hagy, event organizer and a teacher at Island Coast High School, said Tuesday.
“We have almost every major school in the state of Florida,” she said, noting that the University of Miami had a scheduling conflict this year and will likely not be in attendance.
There will also be schools from Michigan, Indiana, Georgia, Pennsylvania and more represented.
“I always try to pull from the SEC (Southeastern Conference) and Big Ten,” Hagy said.
The representatives are qualified and prepared to answer questions about their school’s degree programs, admission requirements including test scores, campus life and other topics.
“The goal is to expose as many students and parents to what’s available for them,” she said, “so they can have a better education and a better life after they graduate from high school.”
In addition to traditional colleges, schools with specialized programs will also be on hand. For example, Johnson & Wales University has institutions in four different states.
“They’re big in the culinary arts,” Hagy said.
There will be an institution with an aviation program, schools with strong religious affiliations and historically black colleges. One institution has a program for students with learning disabilities.
Art institutes, beauty academies and certificate-type schools, with programs in massage therapy and such, will be present. The military academies of the Navy, Marines and Army will be on hand, as well.
“They can get specific information. They can get information on scholarships,” she said.
A professor from Florida Gulf Coast University will discuss FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and answer any questions. All students are required to fill one out.
“It’s not an easy thing to fill out,” Hagy said.
Last year, approximately 1,500 to 2,000 students attended last year’s event.
“Be prepared to ask good questions,” she said, pointing out that one might ask about dorms, curfews and athletics. “You want to find out what’s going on on that campus, you want to get a feel for it.”
Each representative will have take-home pamphlets available about their school.
Island Coast High School is at 2125 De Navarra Parkway.