ATSU hosts college fair for local students

Taylor Lane, The News Courier, Athens, Ala.
·2 min read

Aug. 31—Yesterday, Athens State University hosted a career fair for approximately 1,700 to 2,000 local junior and senior students.

Laura Lou Smith, Athens High School counselor, shared that over 500 juniors and seniors from AHS alone participated in the fair.

"Our students had the opportunity to meet admissions representatives from almost 40 colleges. We are grateful for for this college exploration opportunity for our students, Smith said"

Penny Roberts, the senior admissions operations officer at ATSU, has organized the annual event for the last 15 years.

"We host a fair for Athens and Limestone County Schools where we have different colleges and universities that come in here and the students come in and browse all the different colleges and the opportunities that they have," said Roberts.

This fair offered students the opportunity to meet with universities from Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi offering a variety of degree and certificate programs.

Students met with recruiters from universities offering two and four year degrees and certificates in STEM, business, marketing and communications, language and literature, fine arts, and more.

Students had the opportunity to visit with recruiters from the following colleges: Auburn University, Auburn University at Montgomery, Athens State University, Birmingham Southern College, Blue Mountain College, Christian Brothers University, Faulkner University, Huntingdon College, Jacksonville State University, Lipscomb University, Maryville College, Millsaps College, Mississippi College, Mississippi State University, Nossi College of art, Samford University, Shelton State Community College, Troy University, Tuskegee University, UA Early College, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Alabama at Huntsville, University of Mississippi, University of Mobile, University of Montevallo, University of North Alabama, University of South Alabama, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Tennessee Knoxville, University of West Alabama, University of West Georgia, and Wallace State Community College.

Students also had the opportunity to meet with Armed Services recruiters, as well as the Auburn Army ROTC.

Students who attended were from Athens Renaissance School and Athens High School in the city and each of the county high schools, including Ardmore, Clements, East and West Limestone, Elkmont, and Tanner High Schools.

Athens Renaissance Counselor, Lorri Haynes, joined Smith in expressing gratitude for her students' opportunity.

"I'm so thankful that Mrs. Penny Roberts and the entire team at ASU provide this opportunity for our students. Many of our students would not get the opportunity to talk with college recruiters from all over the state of Alabama if it weren't for this local college and career fair," Haynes said.