Families with middle and high school students were once again invited to attend the county’s fifth annual College and Career Expo on Thursday evening, March 7, at the Columbia County Exhibition Center.
Allowing students and parents to discover opportunities for the future, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia County School District partnered with over 80 businesses and colleges to showcase various career and educational options following high school.
To Columbia County School District’s Superintendent Steven Flynt, the expo allows students, whether or not they choose to pursue a higher education, to form a realistic plan when considering entering into college or the workforce, after completing high school.
“A lot of the work that we do prepares our students for life right when they get out of high school,” he said. “We really needed to present [college and career] together, so students can make a connection from their post-secondary learning to their actual career.”
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Flynt also believes the large event is a strong example of the community’s great interest in inspiring and teaching students, which communicates the communal value and contribution each can make to the county.
“We’re really proud that so many businesses and colleges are here working with us,” he said. “It’s not just students’ teachers and parents, but it’s the overall community coming together … it takes the whole community to pour into our students.”
As students and parents perused the many featured information tables and considered local jobs and internships, President and CEO of Columbia County’s Chamber of Commerce Russell Lahodny said he hoped each attendee left the event interested and more informed about life after graduation.
“This program bridges the gap between the business community and the students,” he said. “There are so many great employers in our region, so many wonderful jobs that we have here, and oftentimes people don’t know what types of careers are out there.”
With a mission to also further educate students about their desired pathways and what requirements need to be met for hiring, Lahodny said he wants families to exit the expo feeling more prepared to create a life plan.
“It’s a really great opportunity for [students] to gauge whether or not a career is something they really want to do,” he said. “Then they can go over to the college side of the expo and see what schools offer those programs.”
While prompting summer cybersecurity camps for adolescents, participating vendor Todd Gay, the director of Outreach and Engagement at the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, said his experience as a father has taught him that it is never too early for students to start planning ahead.
“Many of these kids in Columbia County are excited about cybersecurity and they have strong programs, so we’re trying to reach out to students from Richmond and Columbia County to look into the field,” Gay said. “I think it’s so important to get them started really early … I think the earlier, the better.”
Another volunteering vendor David Dye, a training coordinator for the Southeastern Carpenters’ in District 283, said his team brought a virtual welder for students to get some brief, hands-on experience with tools.
“It just gives them the chance to do a little welding,” Dye said. “We just want to show that there are other pathways than just going to college and getting all those expenses, like we offer a four year apprenticeship program that doesn’t cost them anything out of pocket.”
However, no matter the students’ chosen career path, Lahodny said, as a community member, he hopes most students who graduate from Columbia County will return to reinvest in their hometown.
“One of the most important elements for a business community is the talent, and we’re in a kind of climate now where talent is hard to come by,” he said. “We’ve got a great partnership with the school district and they are producing very talented individuals, but if we don’t educate them on what kind of careers are here, we could potentially lose them.”
Exploration was an especially motivating factor for an attending homeschool mother and daughter duo, Bailey and Kathryn Schweitzer, because it provided them the opportunity to analyze what options are available for those with less traditional schooling.
“It makes it more real for my daughter, like ‘oh, college is really a thing that’s coming up,’ because it’s no longer just a concept anymore,” said Kathryn Schweitzer. “Events like this we can see what’s going on in the academic world, so we really like that.”
For Bailey Schweitzer, informative public events – such as the expo – are crucial for homeschoolers because it introduces her to many contacts that can then share their expertise.
“In my situation, I don’t really have anybody else to ask besides my parents, so I think it’s good to go around and ask the different businesses and schools different questions.”
Another mother and daughter duo Christie Olive and Kaitlyn Amengual-Olive, from Harlem High School, said they both enjoyed the event as it allowed an outside expert to inform them of additional education requirements that are necessary following college.
“It’s very informative … and we just discovered that [Kaitlyn’s] interest in law is not just about getting a four year degree. She also has to go to law school, which is expensive,” said Olive. “So it’s been very helpful in the planning. Now we can sit and brainstorm other interests and backup plans.”
Columbia County Board of Education member Judy Teasley said she looked forward to the event every year as it encouraged students to question the future and what adulthood would resemble.
“We have such great vendors that will spend time with our students and let them know that there really is life after high school,” she said. “This is awesome and it’s one of the best things we do.”
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education, lifestyle and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
