Students and parents from across the CSRA have the chance for “one stop shopping” for the next step in their education.
The annual CSRA College Night will be at the James Brown Arena on Sept. 15 from 5-8:30 p.m.
Sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy-Savannah River Operations Office, the event began in 1993. It was cancelled in 2020 because of COVID-19 and was held as a virtual event in 2021. This year marks the return of the in-person event.
“We’re thrilled to be back in-person once again serving the needs of area students,” said Kim Mitchell, SRNS Education Outreach. “We strive to provide opportunities that allow students to explore options for higher education and pathways that lead to great careers.”
This year there will be booths from more than 90 colleges and universities with representatives available to answer questions.
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“I think it’s a great way for students to find different schools that they might not have heard of before or thought of before,” said counselor Liz Schow at Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. “It’s a great way to make connections with the college representatives. That can be a great help through the admissions process. And it’s a great way to just get information about all the different tools in the area.”
The event will also include seminars and career and counseling centers. There will be a career exploration area where students can learn what options are available after college. Representatives from area professional organizations will also be available to talk about specific areas such as engineering, chemical and nuclear science and management.
DFA seniors Kylee Blount and Allyce-Dean Owens are happy it will be a return to the traditional format. Both plan to attend this year’s event.
In addition to the traditional four-year colleges and universities, representatives from technical colleges, including Augusta Tech and Aiken Tech, will also be available, along with recruiters for military service.
“I always tell students that college is the inclusive term meaning that it’s four year or two-year, technical, different types of programs, military,” Schow said. “All of those are ways to further your education and to find a career path. And so, I think it’s important that students know that those are very real and good options that they have also.”
Although geared to students, Schow said parents can also benefit by attending.
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“Parents can learn about the admissions process also, and how they can support their child, but also about the financial commitments to financial aid process, and really the college admissions timeline,” she said.
Students attending College Night can register for a drawing for a $1,000 scholarship. They must register in person and be seniors with a GPA equal to or above 2.5.
“Well over $300,000 in scholarship funding has been offered to the tens of thousands of students who have attended College Night in the past. The generosity of our scholarship sponsors and much appreciated help from more than 100 volunteers are major reasons why this effort is consistently so successful each year,” said Mitchell. Admission to College Night is free and it is open to the public. More information is at https://www.srs.gov/general/outreach/edoutrch/coll_night.htm
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
